Understanding HIV and AIDS: A look at Mother-to-Child transmission of HIV

There are 28,000 children in Ghana living with HIV infection. In 2012, over 2,000 children died of AIDS and 200,000 became orphaned due to AIDS (National AIDS Control Programme, 2012).

Children living with HIV face emotional and physical challenges. They must have special visits to their health care provider, take daily medications, and may become sick more often then their peers. After being told of their diagnosis, their feelings may include shock, anger, sadness, embarrassment, fear, confusion, and isolation. They may have questions about why they were infected and be unsure about with whom they can share their diagnosis.

Children living with HIV deserved to be supported by their family, health care providers, and community. This can be done through acceptance, reassurance, and empowerment.

How HIV is spread
HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS. HIV is transmitted:

• from mother to child in the uterus, during delivery or when breastfeeding.
• through sexual intercourse
• through blood via unclean objects that cut the skin – for example, injections, tattoos or razor blades

How HIV is NOT spread
HIV is found only in blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast-milk. It has to get inside the body and blood of another person to spread the virus. HIV is not spread by holding hands, hugging, kissing on the cheek, sharing toilets, sharing food and drink, sharing clothes, sneezing and coughing or mosquitoes.

Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

Most children with HIV infection acquired it from their mothers during pregnancy, delivery, or while breastfeeding. With special interventions, mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be markedly decreased.

Interventions to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

• HIV testing of pregnant mothers & partners
• Antiretroviral medication for HIV positive pregnant women
• Safe delivery services
• Infant prophylaxis
• Safe breastfeeding

Living well with HIV

People can find out whether they are infected with HIV by going for voluntary counseling, testing and care at the health clinic. Counseling and testing can help us all to take action to avoid HIV or to live well and protect others if we already have HIV.

 Those living with HIV can have a good life for a long time by living positively.

This means:

• Eating well
• Protecting ourselves from infections and getting treatment early
• Continuing with our work and social life
• Protecting ourselves and others from further HIV or sexually transmitted infections by practicing safer sex
• Getting support from our friends and family.

 There are now medicines called antiretrovirals (ARVs) that can help those of us living with HIV to stay healthy for a long time.

** PARENT & CHILD ACTIVITY **

Adwoa is a young girl aged 12 years. She was born with HIV infection. She gets sick more often than her classmates and sometimes is unable to play sports. A pupil found out that she is living with HIV and told everyone. Now pupils tease and laugh at her and no one wants to eat with her. They say bad things about her mother. During sports, no one wants her on their team and she always sits alone at her desk.

 Read Adwoa’s story to your child and discuss the following questions together: Imagine that you are Adwoa.

• How would you feel? How would you behave?
• What would you like to happen?
• What would help you to cope with living with HIV?

Imagine that Adwoa is in your class.

• Why are we and our classmates avoiding Adwoa and teasing her?
• What would we do if Adwoa was our friend?
• What virtues could we practise that would make life better for Adwoa?
• How do we know whether we have Adwoa in our class or not?