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Disclosure of Parental HIV Infection to Children: A Systematic Review of Global Literature

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Abstract

This review examines the global empirical literature regarding disclosure of parental HIV infection to children. Thirty-eight articles published in English-language journals prior to 2011 were retrieved and reviewed regarding disclosure process, reasons for disclosure/non-disclosure and impacts of disclosure/non-disclosure. Disclosure rate was relatively low worldwide. The decision making of disclosure or non-disclosure was mainly affected by children’s development level, stigma, consideration of children’s benefits, and parenting practices. Unintentional and forced disclosures were common. Findings regarding the impacts of disclosure/non-disclosure were mixed but disclosure tended to have long-term positive impacts on the well-being of children, parents and family in general. This review underscores the importance of developing evidence-informed developmentally and culturally appropriate interventions to assist HIV-positive parents to disclose their HIV status to children, particularly in low-resource settings.

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Acknowledgments

The study described in this report was supported by NIH Research Grant R01MH76488 and R01NR10498 by the National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Nursing Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Nursing Research. The authors also want to thank Joanne Zwemer for assistance with the manuscript preparation.

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  1. Prevention Research Center, Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Hutzel Building, Suite W534, 4707 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    Shan Qiao, Xiaoming Li & Bonita Stanton

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  1. Shan Qiao
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Correspondence to Shan Qiao.

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Qiao, S., Li, X. & Stanton, B. Disclosure of Parental HIV Infection to Children: A Systematic Review of Global Literature. AIDS Behav 17, 369–389 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-0069-x

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