Deaths due to Aids-related illnesses: young girls and women are the worst affected

Dr Julia Turner, Paediatric Medical Advisor at Right to Care, says that, “HIV be so easily controlled if everyone with HIV knows their status and takes ART consistently.”

Dr Marnie Vujovic, adolescent psychosocial programme manager at Right to Care, says that, “Waiting until children who are HIV positive enter adolescence before telling them about their HIV status can be detrimental. Adolescence is the worst time to disclose because a young person is already coming to terms with other rapid changes that are taking place. Disclosure needs to take place well before adolescence.

“The Right to Care Paediatric and Adolescent Programme has developed useful tools to help clinics disclose to their patients and to run adolescent support groups. It also provides training and mentoring, and runs helplines to assist clinics in managing their paediatric and adolescent patients.”

Sharon Siko (20) attends the Halfway House Clinic in Midrand, Gauteng, one of the sites where the programme is being implemented. She was diagnosed HIV positive when she discovered she was pregnant during August 2016. She doesn’t know how she became infected. Despite her initial shock, she had never previously tested, she was pragmatic about starting ARVs immediately as she was advised by the healthcare team at the Halfway House Clinic.

Sharon has done well on the medication and she adheres to her doses. Her son was born HIV negative. Her partner has never tested, he is too anxious to do so although he is very supportive of her taking medication and visiting the clinic. He says he isn’t ready yet.

Sharon is currently unemployed, she did not study post school but is keen to be a motivational speaker. She is part of the monthly youth support group based at her clinic that was set up by Right to Care which has helped her deal with being HIV positive.

Sharon says she still grapples with how to disclose her status to others.