AIM
The aim of this research brief is to describe a study
that sought to understand the post-disclosure
experiences of HIV-positive and negative children
after they received disclosure of their own and their
parents’ illnesses, respectively. This is the first study
from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that describes the
post-disclosure experiences of HIV-positive and
negative children in one study. Prior studies in SSA
have mostly centered on the post-disclosure
experiences of HIV-positive children after receiving
disclosure of their own illnesses, or HIV-positive
mothers’ descriptions of the effect of maternal
disclosure on their HIV-negative children.
BACKGROUND
As of 2012, Kenya’s HIV prevalence among children
aged 18 months to 14 years was 0.9% (National AIDS
and STI Control Programme Kenya, 2014) and 2.7%
among youth aged 15–24 years (UNICEF, 2013). The
HIV prevalence among adults was 6% (UNAIDS,
2013). Five percent of homes in the country had a
HIV-positive head of household (National AIDS and
STI Control Programme Kenya, 2014).
There have been few studies conducted with HIVnegative
children, so their post-disclosure
experiences are not well understood. Following
disclosure, HIV-positive and negative children
experience varying effects which may be positive
(increased closeness with their parents) or negative
(withdrawal), and displayed externally (sadness) or
internally (depression: Kennedy et al.,
2010; Vallerand et al., 2005). Understanding HIVpositive
and negative children’s post-disclosure
experiences is important so that healthcare
professionals (HCPs) can better facilitate disclosurefrom HIV-positive parents to their HIV-positive and
negative children.