Girls living with HIV can thrive! Growing up with HIV is different now than it was 30 years ago due to advances in healthcare and treatment options and children are living and thriving despite living with HIV. While there have been advances, we are still learning and understanding the possible effects HIV may have on their development, immune system, growth, emotional and mental health, and their overall wellbeing. Importantly, as children continue to grow not only their mental and physical health needs to be considered but also knowing that their environments contribute to their ability to thrive and this includes home, social, community, and built environments around them.
Understanding that as two life course overlap (mother and child) the beginning stages of a child’s development are impacted by prenatal health and access to care, especially antiretroviral therapy – which further protects and can prevent transmission from mother to child during birth and infancy.
For girls living with HIV ages 0-12, some key considerations include:
- The role of allies
- Support groups
- Adherence to HIV treatment
- Historically, there is limited information on recorded abnormalities or impacts of living with HIV – but with treatment and quality care children can thrive.
- Growth and development
- Acknowledgement of lack of research on girls / children living with HIV. More research is needed!
- SDOH and their impacts on the child’s aging health outcomes
- Parental support and caregiving
- HIV Stigma
- Community support including school, church, family, and friends, etc.
- Access to age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education
- Case management
- Community:
- Community building, camps, and sleep aways | resources of camps for kids living with HIV
- How to navigate school, friends, administration; daycare; youth sports