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| |    Talking about HIV/AIDS: Some Basic Facts by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. and Mona Behan reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. and Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. Once you've decided to talk to your children about HIV/AIDS, it's important to be prepared to answer some of the questions they're likely to ask: What is HIV/AIDS? For younger kids, stick to basic, simple answers: AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a disease that makes it hard for the body to fight infections; HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes the disease. With older children, you probably will want to elaborate further, maybe explaining how the disease is spread, and a little about how the immune system works. How does someone get HIV/AIDS? This is key, because misconceptions abound. In one study, for instance, one in four children knew that drug use could lead to AIDS, but when Dr. David Schonfeld at the Yale University School of Medicine asked which drugs, the two most common answers were cigarettes and alcohol, neither of which can cause the disease. Going into more or less depth depending on their ages, you can tell your children about the main ways people become infected-through contact with the blood of an infected person, sexual intercourse, drug use involving contaminated needles or syringes, an HIV-positive mother passing it to her baby during pregnancy or through breast milk. With older children, depending on your beliefs and values, you may want to be more explicit about the means of transmission and prevention. Telling your kids what doesn't cause AIDS is just as important: casual contact or sitting near someone with the disease, hugging, sharing food, toilet seats, swimming pools, and so on. How do you know if you have the virus? Remember, this question often stems from a child's fear. Your young child will probably be reassured that he doesn't have HIV/AIDS after you explain the specific, limited ways the disease is transmitted. Your older child is likely to take the same comfort, and you also can explain that while the virus can be present in a person's system for years without causing any symptoms, it can be reliably detected by a blood test. Is there a cure or any way to treat AIDS? It's important that children know that HIV/AIDS is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. But it's also important not to play on their fears. Lay out the facts honestly: At present, there is no cure for AIDS, but researchers have developed effective treatments that lessen the disease's harmful effects and prolong people's lives.
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