Problems in Families

A mother and child with HIV usually are not the only family members with the disease. Often, the mother's sexual partner is infected, and other children in the family may be infected as well. Frequently, a parent with AIDS does not survive to care for his or her HIV-infected child.

In the countries hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic, some 14 million children under 15 around the world have been orphaned by AIDS—80 percent of them (11 million) in sub-Saharan Africa alone. The rate is expected to increase. One in three of these orphans is under age 5. Communities and extended families are struggling with and often overwhelmed by the vast number of children orphaned by AIDS. Many orphans and other children from families devastated by AIDS face multiple risks, such as forced relocation, violence, living on the streets, drug use, and even commercial sex. Other children suffer because sexuality education and services are not available to them or not effectively communicated to them. Living in a country undergoing political turmoil can also raise the risk of a child becoming HIV-infected. (Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic 2002: Focus: AIDS and Orphans.)

In the United States, most children living with HIV/AIDS live in inner cities, where poverty, illicit drug use, poor housing, and limited access to and use of medical care and social services add to the challenges of HIV disease.

One encouraging note is, according to UNAIDS, that where information, training, and services to help prevent HIV infection are made available and affordable, young people are more likely to make use of them than their elders.

Management of the complex medical and social problems of families affected by HIV requires a multidisciplinary case management team, integrating medical, social, mental health, and educational services. NIAID provides special funding to many of its clinical research sites to provide for services, such as transportation, day care, and the expertise of social workers, crucial to families devastated by HIV.

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Important disclaimer: The information on pkids.org is for educational purposes only and should not be considered to be medical advice. It is not meant to replace the advice of the physician who cares for your child. All medical advice and information should be considered to be incomplete without a physical exam, which is not possible without a visit to your doctor.