Children

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Let’s Clarify:

UNAIDS recognizes any individual under the age of 15 to be considered a child… It is estimated that 3.2 million children were living with HIV/AIDS in 2013. 240,000 became newly infected. That’s 700 new infections every day!

How are children infected?

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) The  HIV is passed on during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. 

Sexual transmission  In 52 countries around the world, it is legal to marry a child under the age of 15 with parental consent, which puts children at a high risk of HIV infection. 

Injection drugs  Children who use and abuse injection drugs are more likely to share needles, and often struggle to receive any medical care.

Why is the Treatment of Children with HIV/AIDS so Challenging?

Psychosocial Well-Being  Most children who live with HIV will lose family members to AIDS, experience shock, and be subject to stigma and discrimination from society. Support groups are not always available.

Childhood Illness  Because of their weakened immune system, children with HIV are even more susceptible to illnesses, such as mumps and chickenpox, and the sickness are harder to treat and last longer.

What Needs to Be Done?

Educate:
There is medication that drastically shrinks the chances of a mother passing the virus onto their baby, but many mothers lack the education they need to ensure the health of their child...

• Only 49% of women continue to take HIV medication while breastfeeding, whereas 62% of women only take the drug during pregnancy and delivery.

• Breastfeeding accounts for half of all mother-to-child transmissions.
  

...and this can be easily prevented if women were educated on the proper use of the drug.

Child Rights: 

Children who are HIV+ are often discriminated against and lack the rights to education, contraception, gender equality, etc.

• The failure of many governments worldwide to provide HIV testing and resources for children is the reason HIV is continuing to infect the next generation.

Child Marriage:

• Globally, 11% of young girls are forced into marriage before they turn 15.
  
• This leads to more likely viral transmission and uneducated mothers who pass on their disease to their children.
  

Medication Availability:

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) is not a cure for the disease, but it slows down the growth of the virus and effectively extends the lifespan of an infected patient. 

THE DRUG EXISTS, BUT NOT EVERYONE IS GETTING IT.

• Globally, of the pregnant women who received a test and were diagnosed positive for HIV, only 30% actually received the treatment they needed in order to ensure the safety of their child.
• A baby who is HIV positive needs antiretroviral treatment immediately in order to stay alive. 76% of children who need this medication are not receiving it.

Now You Know

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• Data collected from:
  • www.avert.org
  • www.aidsinfonet.org/fact_sheets/view/403​