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Table 3 Maternal disclosure to HIV-negative children

From: Maternal HIV disclosure to HIV-uninfected children in rural South Africa: a pilot study of a family-based intervention

ID

Sex

Age

Prior disclosure

Intervention disclosure

Mother report of child's reaction to disclosure

Mother reported questions asked by child following disclosure

Mother reported what she enjoyed most about disclosure

01

M

6

No

Virus

Confused

How did you get infected; I haven't seen you go to clinic, when do you go to clinic? What do the nurses and doctors do at clinic?

I really enjoyed the questions the child asked me

02

M

7

No

HIV

Frightened Emotional

Will I get HIV; how can I be safe from HIV?

I enjoyed the peace that I felt after

03

F

6

No

HIV

Confused

What is HIV and what should you be doing at clinic about it?

I enjoyed the materials, because they are so positive about me, even when I am getting sick, I can give them love, the messages are good

04

F

6

No

Virus

Calm

Does a person with this virus become very slim?

I enjoyed that she seemed to understand, like she understands that a person with HIV does not have AIDS

05

F

8

No

Virus

Confused

How did you get the infection? When can I go to clinic?

I enjoyed that the child asked questions I could answer

06

M

8

No

Virus

Calm

No question

I enjoyed playing cards with the child

07

F

7

No

HIV

Confused

Is this what caused my dad to die?; is this why we can’t visit dad's family anymore?

I enjoyed most going through our family life line

08

M

6

Yes

HIV

Calm

No question

I enjoyed every moment of it and that he is the first of my children to know the truth, and I know he is going to come back and ask me about the father soon, then it will all be open

09

M

7

No

HIV

Confused

What is that lion doing in the house with the people in the storybook?

The joy that the storybook brought for the child is what I most enjoyed and I enjoyed being able to give a deep explanation of HIV

10

F

8

No

HIV

Calm

No question

I enjoyed that my child learnt that if a person is sick they will get help from the clinic

11

M

7

No

HIV

Calm

Are you going to die; Is HIV curable?

I enjoyed that I was the one who was able to teach him and that he understood it all

12

M

7

No

HIV

Calm

No question

The fact that my child understood and we had a chance to talk

13

F

6

No

HIV

Calm

No question

I enjoyed all the disclosure steps, they impressed me a lot

14

F

6

No

HIV

Calm

Why do you have to take pills always?

I enjoyed all the steps and I feel more confident to talk about my illness now

15

F

8

Yes

HIV

Calm

Is this what happened to my father? Did you love my father? How did you get the HIV, did you get it from my father or another man? Would my father be alive if he took medicine?

I really enjoyed everything about doing disclosure

16

M

7

No

Virus

Calm Frightened

No question

I enjoyed the whole thing from the beginning to the end

17

M

8

No

Virus

Confused

Do all viruses kill people? Are you going to die from the virus? Will I be left with no parents?

I enjoyed that my child was interested and listened to me

18

M

7

No

Virus

Calm

Does my niece who takes pills have this Virus also?

Telling him was important for him to know, it was exciting and I felt good, I felt at peace for no longer keeping it from him

19

M

6

No

Virus

Calm Confused

Do I have a virus now? Should I eat more vegetables?

I enjoyed our talk, and it brought back hope to me as I was talking to him

20

M

6

Yes

Virus*

Calm

What is AIDS, is it the same as a virus? Does my stepfather have it? Did my father have it before he died; Are ARVs the same as the tablets you showed me on the body map? Does AIDS ever get finished in the body?

I enjoyed and I like the fact that he was so quick to understand, he is clever

21

F

6

No

Virus*

Calm

What is this virus called?

I enjoyed using all the materials

22

M

7

No

Virus

Calm

No question

I enjoyed most that my child understood most of what we did, I wasn't expecting it

23

F

7

Yes

Virus

Calm Confused

No question

I enjoyed having a chance to talk about my status

24

F

7

Yes

Virus

Calm

No question

I enjoy the materials because of the good messages it brings to me and my children

  1. *In cases where mother undertook disclosure using words Virus and child’s questions led to a discussion on HIV or AIDS using those words, disclosure is listed as partial given that mother-led disclosure was initially partial.