238. Is There an Ideal Age to Disclose HIV-Status to Youth Who are Unaware that They are Living With HIV to Maximize the Likelihood of Ongoing Viral Load Suppression?

Globally, there are 1.8 million children under 15 living with HIV. Recent estimates indicate over 70 new cases of pediatric HIV are identified annually, and nearly 2,000 children are living with HIV in the United States. The WHO recommends disclosure of HIV-status between 6-12 years, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends youth are informed at “school age.” Neither institution suggests an optimal age when children should learn of their infection. Considering the criticality of viral load suppression we preliminarily assessed the relationship between the age of HIV-status disclosure and longitudinal viral load suppression.

Source: Journal of Adolescent Health - January 11, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Lori Mills, Lauren EB. Marefka, Sequoya A. Eady, Dayna Cook, Tina Simpson, Henna Budhwani Source Type: research