Disclosure and Assent in Pediatric HIV

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine.The purpose of this study was to examine health care providers’ experiences regarding the processes of disclosure and assent in pediatric HIV/AIDS patients. The study population included providers who were involved with the care of pediatric HIV/AIDS. A survey was distributed through email and asked questions to explore provider demographics, the average age of assent to treatment and research, the average age of disclosure of HIV, what factors determine the age of disclosure, barriers to disclosure, provider opinions, and provider perceptions of conflict within the disclosure process. While results showed that there are wide variations among individual patients and providers, most providers agree that disclosure should occur in older school age children (between ages 6-10 years), which is also the time that they typically are able to assent to treatment and clinical trials. Providers often agreed that there is a conflict between the ages of disclosure and assent. Parental concerns (fear of stigma, inappropriate disclosure, and personal guilt) were most often the reason for delays in the disclosure process. The disclosure process was felt to be most effective when done in a step-wise manner that includes multiple practitioners and counseling with families.This item is part of the College of Medicine - Phoenix Scholarly Projects 2014 collection. For more information, contact the Phoenix Biomedical Campus Library at pbc-library@email.arizona.edu