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Summary

  • If you are an HIV-positive woman, it’s very important that your children are tested for HIV.
  • The course of HIV infection in children is different to that seen in adults and needs specialist monitoring, care and treatment.
  • Treatment for HIV is very effective, and HIV-positive children who get the treatment they need can look forward to a long, healthy life.
  • Your child’s health should be monitored regularly at a specialist clinic.
  • Taking treatment properly is very important and the clinic can suggest ways of helping with this.
  • Children with HIV need appropriate information about their illness.
  • It’s up to you whether you tell other people that your child has HIV, and it’s a good idea to think carefully about this before making a decision.
  • There is lots of support available to help you and your child live well with HIV.
This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.