QUESTIONS OF THE DAY Test Babies and Children Early for HIV Here are some of common questions people ask about ART: • If the child is raped or sexually abused by someone who is HIV infected. 1. Do ARVs cure HIV? ARVs are medications that can help people with HIV to feel better and live longer, but they do not cure HIV. When children test positive for HIV, a doctor may suggest they start antiretroviral drugs or ARVs. Most children who start ARVs will get better, if they take the drugs properly. Once 2. How long will I have to take ARVs? Community Health Newsletter: Issue 1 - Comprehensive HIV Care 2009 children start ARVs: ARVs have to be taken for the rest of your life, even after you start to This issue is designed for people who test HIV positive. feel better. • Their quality of life will improve a lot • They will grow and develop well 3. Is there anything I should not do, eat or drink • They will be better able to fight illnesses when taking ARVs? Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and eggs. Do not drink coffee ARVs must be given very carefully to children. Giving a child or tea. Do not drink alcohol or smoke as it can affect the way the ARVs Babies and children who are HIV-infected can live healthy GET COMPLETE CARE too little or too much of a drug, means the medicine may not work in the body. lives. It is important for them to be tested early for HIV and to work properly. If drugs are not taken every day, at around the go to a health facility often. Only a test at a health facility can same time, ARVs may no longer work. Children need to go for 4. What are the side effects of using ARVs? tell if a child is infected with HIV. Like most medicines, ARVs can have side effects, but side effects can doctor's visits more often than adults. be managed with the help of your doctor. Some people on ARVs have FOR BETTER HEALTH! headaches, dry mouth, skin rashes, diarrhoea, anaemia, dizziness, Most children born to HIV-infected mothers will not become hair loss, tingling in the hands and feet, nausea, vomiting, bad infected, but some will. Mothers are tested for HIV when they Following treatment properly can be difficult with children. It It is important to know your HIV status. You can Complete care for HIV positive people includes • Your health worker will advise you to start can be very dangerous and cause the dreams, and feeling tired, sad, or worried. It is important to continue attend antenatal clinics. This is done so that if the mother is can be helpful to talk with other parents and caregivers to not tell by looking at your body if you have HIV counseling, psychosocial and nutritional treatment, but the decision to take ARVs medicine to not work. Stopping and starting eating and taking the medicines even if you have side effects. If you or AIDS. The only way to know your HIV status support, prevention and treatment of the drugs or missing tablets keeps the HIV positive, steps can be taken to prevent transmission of the share experiences. For children who are old enough to take must be made by you have any of these, talk with a health care worker about how to treat is to go for an HIV test at a health clinic. Once infections, getting reproductive health care • You have to take medicine every day for the medicine from working. virus from the mother to the baby during pregnancy, delivery ARVs on their own, talk with them about HIV and the them. There are ways to? help treat side effects so you can feel better. you have been tested for HIV and know you are (like contraception and treatment for sexually rest of your life You can also talk with other people who are positive about ways they and breastfeeding. If a mother has tested positive for HIV, it is importance of following ART properly. Help them to decide HIV positive, you can take steps to get transmitted infections) as well as HIV drug treatment. • You have to visit a health care worker If you stop taking ARVs at any time, HIV can have found to treat side effects. treatment as needed, take good care of build up in your body again and it can become important to her baby for testing as soon as possible. Testing when and how to tell others about their status. regularly yourself, remain healthy and learn how to A health worker can help you prevent and treat even stronger. As a result, the drugs you were can be done as early as 6 weeks after birth. Waiting until a protect yourself in the future. There is no cure these opportunistic infections correctly. This is • You will need support from your friends, taking before might not be able to fight off this 5. Do herbal medicines work better than ARVs? child falls ill can be too late. Children's immune systems are family, community, and health workers. ARVs are the only medicines proven to help treat HIV and AIDS. Testing babies and children for HIV for HIV and AIDS, but the disease can be part of the complete care you need if you are stronger disease and you might have to start not as developed as adults and they can get sick quicker. managed so that you can have a long, healthy life. HIV positive. Health workers will also tell you using different ARVs, which cost more money Research studies prove that taking ARVs will help fight the disease Comprehensive care centres (CCC) are the most ideal place to HOW DOES ARVS WORK and decrease the amount of HIV in the body. Based on the research how to prevent spreading HIV to others and and are harder to find. test babies and children for HIV. CCCs have paediatrics clinic If you test positive for HIV, you should how to protect yourself from re-infection. They that has been done so far, there is no proof that herbal or traditional A child can get HIV in the following ways: medicines treat or cure HIV and AIDS. Some traditional medicines days. Visit your nearest health centre for more information. immediately visit the nearest health facility will discuss ways for you to eat healthy, When taking ARVs you should also eat healthy, • A woman who is HIV infected can pass the virus to her child may help to treat the symptoms of opportunistic infections, but others with HIV and AIDS comprehensive care exercise, get support from friends and family exercise, avoid alcohol and smoking, live may be dangerous and can keep ARVs from working. It is important during pregnancy, at the time of birth, or through services. At this clinic, a health worker will and live positively. All the services for complete positively and always practice safe sex. This have a discussion with you about your status care for HIV positive people are available at to talk with a health worker about any medicines you are taking when breastfeeding. Most children born to HIV-infected women Know Your Status will help your body to fight the spread of HIV and ask you questions about your medical Comprehensive Care Centres (CCCs) in Kenya. and prevent re-infection of the virus, which you are on ARVs. will not get HIV.Talk with a health care worker about ways to It is important for parents to know their status so they can get medicines and support history and then give you a physical can be harmful. Doing these things and taking reduce the risk. examination and do a variety of laboratory There are drugs that people with HIV can take ARVs will help you to live a long, normal, to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to Tips for telling your children • Through other blood-to-blood contact like sharing sharp tests. This assessment will help the health to help slow down the spread of HIV in their healthy life. their children, during pregnancy, birth objects or other skin piercing instruments like razor blades, worker to know the amount of virus in your bodies. These drugs are called anti-retrovirals you are HIV positive and breastfeeding. body and if there are any other illnesses or ARVs. ARVs help the immune system get Soon after starting ARVs you will feel better. It After parents test positive for HIV, telling their children about their needles and circumcision knives. making you sick. With this information, a strong so that it can fight infections. ARVs help is important to continue to visit your health HIV status is one of their biggest concerns. While it can be very health worker will know the best way to treat reduce the amount of HIV in your blood, but worker so he/she can see how you are feeling difficult to tell children, it is better to tell them as soon as the disease. these drugs cannot get rid of the disease completely. • ARVs slow down the spread of HIV so fewer and decide if your immune system is getting possible. It is best that children hear about their parent's HIV viruses attack the immune system. stronger. Even when you feel better you must status from their parent as hearing from others at school or in IMMUNE SYSTEM AND Health workers will decide when it is time for still keep taking your ARVs every day. The How can I tell my children an HIV positive person to start taking ARVs.