What would you do if your child had HIV?

[arianna24]

My sister was telling me that by law in Ontario, a child with HIV doesn't have to know they have HIV. They are minors until 18 and its up to the parents when they want to tell their kid (until they are 18).

My sister is an RN and has worked in an HIV clinic and have talked to other nurses who have worked in Sick kids hospital and told parents they should take preventative measures or their child spreading the disease by telling them the truth of their disease because kids are sexually active at a younger age these days, but some parents say "oh no not my child. They wouldn't do that"....

Now remember, an innocent teen who is being raised like everyone else has sex... It's an innocent act, they are a virgin and so is their partner... Don't use a condom or it breaks.... They unknowingly pass on the disease. LEGALLY!!

This is the most disturbing thing I've heard.... I understand trying to shelter your child, being scared for them and preventing them from falling into a depression or not living life like "normal" kids.. But I think with something as serious as HIV they should be aware and prevent this from others. Imagine how traumatized your child you be after 18 years, finding out THEN that they had HIV!! (Say that they had it for the majority of their life or what ever).

What would you do?

[xo.MommyW.xo]

Well id be wondering how the fuck it happened.

But hypothetically I would tell them

[arianna24]

Sorry for typos, its late, on mobile and I think my son is finally read for bed... Lol I'll edit it later

[lynnd4]

Oh my... I personally would feel obligated to tell. It's a part of the child's life and the child needs to be taught how to live with it.

[MyNameIsRAVEN]

Tell my child...don't people with HIV/AIDS have to take all kinds of meds tho to help their immune system? Seems like the kid would have to grow up knowing

[SophistiSlut]

First of all, if a child is taking medications for HIV daily (which they should be doing if they have HIV because not doing so is negligent), you would think they would wonder and/or know why they were taking those medications.

Secondly, of course I would tell my child. They need to know - in case they decide to be sexually active, in case they want to play sports (they will just need to be informed of the risks), etc etc. There are a million reasons to tell them and not a single reason not to.

[thatgirl70]

Yeah, I'd tell him.

[one_on_the_way]

I think if my child had HIV the majority of his/her life, he/she would know "something is up" (why am I taking all these medications and other people don't???)

I'd tell my child and love

[lovelyrlg]

I don't understand how a person could go so many years without knowing.  Wouldn't all the medical treatment necessitate acknowledgment, even from a child?

[DarkPassenger]

I would cry. Then I would research as much as possible. I'd do what I had to do to keep my kid healthy and to keep others safe as well. This would involve discussing my child's illness with him and helping him to realize that he needs to be responsible of it, but he is not defined by it.

[lovinglife0682]

I grew up with a kid who got HIV from a blood transfusion when he was born. The hospital grabbed the wrong baby. He lived for 12 years. At that time there was no way they could not have told him. He spent his life in and out of the hospital.