‘Catch 22 for children on ARVs’

14 Oct, 2016 - 01:10 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Catherine Murombedzi

CHILDREN on life-long medication need to know why they take that particular medication and what happens when they to stop taking the medication. I received an email from a reader of this column who needs help in informing his niece that the medication she takes is for HIV.

He sounded concerned because they had never disclosed to the girl that she was HIV positive. The girl is an orphan and has for the past 13 years lived with the said uncle.

The girl is now aged 14 and he is afraid that if not told on time she will find out on herself. This can be disastrous as she may burst and demand answers as to why they never informed her of her status. The man who lives with the girl said he is worried now that the girl is growing up and can in a few years to come decide to have a boyfriend. Since she does not know her HIV status the uncle saw the danger of her indulging in unprotected sex at sometime and is asking readers of this column to help him.

He wanted to know what the correct age is to tell the girl that she born HIV positive and inform her correctly on why she takes the medication.

Secondly, he wanted to know how to handle the issue if the girl becomes angry with him and the way forward.

Surely there comes a time when they have to tell the child why she takes that particular medication. Lying does not pay as she will at one time find out and doing so on her own has negative effects.

There are support groups in the communities that we live in and one can check with their local clinic which is the suitable group for a particular age. There is AFRICAID Zvandiri+ which deals specifically with the social support aspect of young people.

They have peer counsellors who have weathered the storm and are able to relate to young people who need to be told that they are HIV positive. One can Google the organisation and write to them to get help from the nearest peer counsellor.

Local support group chapters also have focus persons dealing with the young in confidence and privacy.

Privacy is what the young demands. They usually struggle to accept their status and will therefore not need to be publicised.

So for the uncle, I referred him to first visit his nearest clinic and see a counsellor and get help on how to inform the child. Doing so on his own may end up with a bigger challenge.

The uncle was also asking what the law would say in the case of a child who was on medication for years, but did not know what the medication was for. Can one be charged with wilful infection yet they did not know their status.

Children need to be informed, the Murehwa community is lucky in that there is the Rozaria Memorial Trust founded by Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda.

Rozaria Memorial Trust takes literacy seriously and they operate from schools where they run sewing clubs at the same time paying fees for the affected children.

“We have seen that most children are not informed on why they take medication. They need to know because if this is not done there is a chance of them defaulting,” said Gumbonzvanda.

“Grandparents who live with the children in most cases also need empowerment and they also need to know why the medication can’t be stopped,” she added.

The girl mentioned by the uncle above may even know her status already so there is no need to delay. The young read and have so much literature available that the uncle maybe shocked when he finally opens up.

He must be prepared for the girl to sulk as this is not great news. He must be in a position to tell the girl that it is not her fault that she was born like that and that by taking medication she may remain healthy.

Three years ago, I had another man writing an email to me in a similar predicament. The girl, an orphan too was in his care and had started medication after a bout of infections. She had withdrawn and had stopped eating and interaction. I asked him to bring the girl to my home for an afternoon discussion. The girl now in Lower Six has excelled and I am glad he brought her.

When the girl arrived at my home five years ago she was silent and only answered to greetings. However, she warmed up as I told her that she had a loving family and that she should never blame herself for her status. She asked me the hard question, “Why me?” I told her that it was hard, but asked her if she had a dream. She said she wanted to become a pharmacist.

She is on track to her dream today as she is a STEM recipient at her school.

Let us hold the hand of the children born HIV positive. They are at times lonely and need all the support. Being an orphan is a challenge enough so we need to accept them and see them live normally like everyone else.

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