Telling your children

Children can be very perceptive and may worry if they fear their parent or guardian is ill. They need clear and appropriate information to help them understand the situation.

You may find that even very young children will want to know why their parent has to go to the doctor a lot or is unwell. Some parents find it helps to talk about "goodies" or "baddies" in the blood, or bugs, which may enable you to talk about illness without actually mentioning HIV. In this way, you can begin to foster an understanding of health and illness which you can build upon, adding more details as the child gets older.

How you talk to your children about your health and how much information you give them can be complicated and it may help to talk to someone at your HIV clinic or a local HIV organisation about your situation.

A potential source of information and support is a charity called Body and Soul, that works with HIV-positive families. You can contact them on 020 7923 6880.