Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts ThPeG8357-ThPeG8360 673

Presenting author: Clara Acosta-Glynn, University of Connecticut Health Center and Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 282
Washington street, Hartford, Connecticut, 6106, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8357 Coping strategies of teenage orphan headed
households in urban Bulawayo
S. Germann 1, J. Siwela2. 1 Repssi / Salvation Army, Repssi / Salvation Army,
Box AC 800, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; 2Salvation Army Masiye Camp, Bulawayo,
Zimbabwe
Issues: Given that the majority of care givers for children orphaned by AIDS are
grandparents, over time the numbers of households headed by teenage orphans
is rapidly increasing. Little is known how these households cope.
Description: This paper will look at coping strategies of a group of child headed
households in urban Bulawayo in southern Zimbabwe. A group of 130 teenage
orphans (35 heading households) have been involved in a participatory action
research over the past 9 months. There are remarkable coping strategies developed by such households and the level of resilience is encouraging. With limited
community and peer support the majority of such households seem to cope well.
Supporting children heading such households through special training on parenting and household management has made a significant difference in their ability
to cope in difficult households situations. Increased household management skills
of the teenage household head has also resulted in increased quality of life for all
children staying in the same household.
Lessons learned: Child headed households are a group of special vulnerable
children and need special care and protection. Supported child headed households can be a sustainable unit of care if quality monitoring of such households is
put in place.
Recommendations: This program based research recommends that given the
fact that child headed household will rapidly increase over the next 10 years, there
is need to expand responses in support of such households regarding household
management skills and other support elements.
Presenting author: Stefan Germann, Repssi / Salvation Army, Box AC 800, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: thenjstef
@yahoo.co.uk
ThPeG8358I Doll house - an indigenous module to educate rural
adolescent girls about sexual health through play
therapy
A. Majumdar, S. Biswas. The Calcutta Samaritans, 6/3 Gopal Chatterjee
road,Cossipore, Calcutta pin-700002, West Bengal, india, India
Issue: Playing with doll is very common among the girls in India. Some specific
plays reflect their ideas about gender relation and sexuality. Thus, here it is aimed
to interact with adolescent girls about sexual health by using play therapy.
Description: Discussing about 'sex' with the adolescent girls in rural India is very
much stigmatized and culturally disapproved. This stigma keeps them ignorant
about sexual health. Their ignorance coupled with early marriage and other sexual violence on them increases their vulnerability to STI, HIV/AIDS. To combat this
problem an indigenous mode of culture specific model is developed to educate rural adolescent girls about sexual health. As playing with doll is very natural among
adolescent girl, this mode of playing is chosen and developed as a tool of sexual health education for them. This play module briefly consists of the following:#
Playing with doll and role-play as parents.# 'Rannabari', 'Ghar-Ghar'- playing like
family.# Showing of different act with dolls.# Participatory and non-participatory
observation of playing and discussion.
Lesson learned: Many issues regarding gender and sexuality have come out
which has a direct relation with women's and girl's sexual health.
Information regarding sexual health, STI, HIV/AIDS can be easily provided
through this module.
Recommendations: This module of play therapy can be used as an indigenous
tool of providing sexual health education to the adolescent girls in orthodox society. It can be a unique addition in the process of prevention of HIV/AIDS and
sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
Presenting author: Aparna Majumdar, 6/3 Gopal Chatterjee road, Cossipore,
Calcutta pin-700002, West Bengal, india, India, Tel.: [phone]/+91 0
3352 83390, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected].
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ThPeG8359 Parents' attitudes and counselling policy on
parental disclosure and testing of children of HIV
positive parents in Uganda
J. Rwemisisi1, B. Wolff2, R. Pool3, C. Watera4, J. Whitworth5. 1Social Scientist,

Medical Research Council Programme on AIDS in Uganda, Entebbe, Uganda;
2MRC Social Science Project Leader, Entebbe, Uganda; 3Social Scientist,
London, United Kingdom; 4MRC-TASO Entebbe cohort Project Leader, Entebbe,
Uganda; 5Head MRC Programme on AIDS in Uganda, Entebbe, Uganda
Background: This paper reviews the results of a pilot study on social, emotional
and policy issues facing HIV positive parents on disclosure and testing children
for HIV status.

Methods: 10 HIV positive parents recruited from TASO counselling services in
Entebbe, Uganda were interviewed in-depth about the dilemmas they face in status disclosure to children and having children tested for HIV. Additional key informant interviews were conducted with executives of key AIDS testing and care
institutions in Uganda to investigate current policy on advice to parents on counselling and testing of children.
Results: 5 of 10 parents had disclosed their status to children ranging from 8 to
24 years. Those who did not disclose had children from infancy to age 12 and
feared they were too young to be told. Regardless of disclosure parents commonly assumed their own children were HIV positive. The consensus among all
parents was to wait until children started to show symptoms of HIV infection before having them tested. 4 of 10 parents had their children tested, all of whom had
disclosed their own status beforehand.
All reported a great sense of emotional relief regardless of the result. Key informant interviews revealed an absence of formal policy on how to advise parents
on disclosure to and testing of children.
Conclusions: Parents carry a significant emotional burden over telling their children about their HIV status and having them tested. There is a policy vacuum that
needs to be addressed on how to advise parents over these issues, despite the
fact that it affects many if not most HIV positive individuals in this high prevalence,
high fertility setting.
Presenting author: Jude Rwemisisi, Medical Research Council Programme on
AIDS in Uganda, P.o Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda, Uganda, Tel.: [phone], Fax:
[phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8360 Knowledge and skills among young people, a
global assessment
C.R. Monasch, L. Henderson, N. Bull, A. Lewnes. UNICEF, New York, NY
10017, United States
Issues: Two major goals of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, UN
Special Session on AIDS are related to young people (YP). 1-Reducing HIV
prevalence among YP by 25%... by 2005...; 2-By 2005, 90% of YP, 15-24, have
information, education... skills to reduce their vulnerability to HIV. Most data collected relates to 1st goal. To get a better assessment of the 2nd goal and prepare
a baseline UNICEF included an AIDS module in it's Multiple-Indicator Cluster
Survey (MICS). MICS, was developed to collect data in 60+ countries in 2000/1
where no Demographic Health Survey (DHS) had been implemented.
Description: Using the UNAIDS guidelines on M&E of NAP a questionnaire was
developed for MICS. Other nationally representative, pop-based surveys such as
DHS & CDC-RHS have started to utilise the same questions. Combining the data
from the different survey tools provides stats for 85 countries, representing 80%
of YP in developing world (excl. China).
Lessons learned: After 15 years of programming ignorance remains pervasive
among YP, many do not know how to protect themselves. The majority of YP have
heard of AIDS, however in-depth questions demonstrate that YP do not have adequate knowledge/understanding about the disease. For example, more than 50%
of girls (15-19) in SSA do not know that a healthy-looking person can have the
AIDS virus. The majority of YP have serious misconceptions. The presentation
will provide detailed statistics by country and region on knowledge, misconceptions, stigma & testing.
r
I ees t I C -%
-- ro co
Percentage girls that know a healthy looking person can have AIDS virus (age 15-19).
Recommendation: Half of all new infections are among 15-24. YP also offer the
greatest hope for turning the tide. Programmes which deliver IEC & skills building
must start early, be on-going and more effective to reach each new cohort of YP
as they join the age group. There are currently 1.2 billion 10-19 year olds in the
world of which 1 billion (90%) need to be reached as they will be the 15-24 year
olds in 2005.

Presenting author: roeland monasch, 3 un plaza, unicef house room 492, new
york, ny 10017, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
rmonasch @unicef.org