(HIV) -What kind of responsibility does a parent have to inform people if their child has HIV?

Question

......and who should be told?

No one, Caretakers, family, friends, anyone the child comes into contact with?

How does that mesh with allowing the chid to have a somewhat normal life and not feel like an outcast?

Answer 1

Schools, doctors, dentists, hospital personal, summer camp leaders or anyone that comes in contact with your child that could possibly be exposed to bodily fluids.

I don't think a note should be sent home to the parents of the classmates.  But, please note, that HIV is serious and withholding needed information could result in a law suit (and has).

Answer 2

The only people you are required to notify, are the attending physician, school nurse( should the child have an injury) and obviously the state, which I'm sure already knows.... That's it and that's all,,,,....

Answer 3

Caretakers and close contact individuals. The school nurse as well so that no medical supplies are reused of touched by other students especially when an open wound is involved. But when telling them please insure that they sign a statement verifying that they understand the situation and respect the child's life and anything that is released about this confidential situation without the parent's consent will be subject to suit.

It is important for a child who is born with HIV at birth to realize that it is not their fault. Being condemned by something that they can not control can lead to a number of psychological disorders and depression.

Please be mindful of who the information is released to because not everyone understands or accepts the disease or individuals with the disease. The child is still a person and should be treated accordingly.

Answer 4

By no means should it be a matter of general knowledge.  

Adult family members and other adults that care for the child without the parents present ought to know, but kids shouldn't.

You don't want to isolate the child as if some sort of leper, but you do need to inform the authority figures because they won't be overly paranoid like kids, and they'll be able to keep reasonable precautions about blood, say from scraped knees.

Answer 5

I think anyone the child comes into contact with should be aware of it. How would it be fair to not tell them, and have an accident happen where they are exposed to it! Seriously, that isn't something that should be kept a secret for self preservation. It is a health hazard,and a deadly desiese.....I wouldn't keep it a secret and add names to that list of ones infected with it potentially. If that meant less friends...oh well. At least it wouldn't mean more potential death certificates! Sorry to be cold...but thats the reality of it.

Answer 6

I think just people who they are in close contact with...probably caretakers because YOU would want to be informed and be sure to take precautions...for instance if I was babysitting and the child fell and scraped his knee I wouldn't normally wear gloves to patch him up, but If I new he had hiv I would just be a little more careful...