HIV
Myths and facts
Michelle Reid
George House Trust
Jill Hellings
Barnardo’s
A whirlwind tour of HIV…
 Myths
and facts
 Good practice in schools
 Legal frameworks
 Stigma
 Where can you go for
help
Play your HIV cards right…
Higher or lower?
There
are 27 million people
living with HIV worldwide
HIGHER
There are 33 million people
Higher or lower?
Since
it began, the AIDS
epidemic has claimed 20
million lives
HIGHER
AIDS has so far killed 25
million people
Higher or lower?
HIV
infects 3 people every
minute
HIGHER
HIV infects 5 people every
minute
Higher or lower?
Worldwide,
people under 25
account for 60% of all new
HIV infections
LOWER
People under 25 account for
50% of new HIV infections
True or false?
Mosquitos
can transmit HIV
FALSE
Insects
cannot transmit HIV
Higher or lower?
There
are 60,000 people
living with HIV in the UK
today
HIGHER
There are 77,400 people
living with HIV in the UK
today
True or false?
Around
20,000 people with
HIV in the UK are unaware of
their condition
TRUE
Higher or lower?
There
are c.10,000 people
living with HIV in the North
West
LOWER
There are 5,212 people
diagnosed in the North West
Higher or lower
 There
are 100 children and young
people living with HIV in the North
West
 HIGHER
 There are 131 children and young
people (under 19) living with HIV
Higher or lower
 There
are c.100 people living with
HIV in Trafford
 HIGHER
 Latest figures state there are 179
diagnosed people in Trafford
True or false?
 Children
could transmit HIV to
each other during social contact
 FALSE
 There is no record of
transmission through social
contact in 25 years of HIV
True or false?
 HIV
is a Child Protection issue
 FALSE
 HIV in itself is not a CP issue.
Circumstances within the family
may lead to CP issues
True or false
 If
a child or parent discloses HIV
then you are obliged by Health
and Safety law to tell your staff.
 FALSE
 You are not obliged to tell
anyone about a child’s or
parent’s HIV status
True or false
 If
a member of staff discloses
HIV then you are obliged by
Health and Safety law to tell
governors and parents.
 FALSE
 You are not obliged to tell
anyone about an employee’s
HIV status
Terminology
 Infected children are living with the
virus themselves
 Affected children have family members
living with the virus

Infected children may not know their
status
Quote

“It’s like all the teachers know, and it’s
like they always come up to me when I’m
around my friends and say things like
‘How are you, how’s your Mum?’ And
friends look at me and wonder ‘How
come they ask?’ – and I don’t really like it
if you know what I’m saying.”
(Affected child – from “HIV in Schools”)
Quote

“At school I found it difficult knowing that
I have HIV and that I couldn’t talk to
anyone …Talking to a teacher about your
situation was too risky; you hear about
young people who have told one teacher
in confidence and soon every teacher in
the school knew about it…
What’s happening today in the
North West?


Temporary exclusion when school
first learn of the diagnosis due to
panic and shock
Refusal to teach a child at all
Requirement that the child’s
diagnosis is shared with all other
teachers, schools staff, governors
and sometimes parents
Child is treated differently

Today’s conference


A family’s experience
‘John has still not got a school place. Jane
went to xxx school and told the Head that she
needed a school for John and she told him
about John’s HIV status.
The Head said he could not agree to take
John as he would need to consult with other
parents and staff to let them know about
John’s HIV.
He also asked how John became HIV positive’
(from case notes)
Emerging Issues
Risk of sharing information – cannot assume
that a school will act inclusively and within the
law
 Children’s information travels with them on
their journey from one school to another
 Younger children lose their confidentiality at an
early stage
 Examples of GPs, school staff sharing
information without consent

Martin’s experience
‘My school does know about my HIV status and
they have treated me very badly.
Once when I had a cold sore they locked me in a
room for four hours because my mum and dad
couldn’t come and collect me – they thought I
would give HIV to the other students, they also
watch me all the time.
My mum was very angry with the school and I
think she rang them up to shout at them.’
What’s driving the change?
The stick…

Disability Discrimination Act
 Access to Education
 Special Educational Needs
and Disability Act
 Code of Practice for Schools
Disability Rights Commission
(2002/5).
www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk
 Data Protection Act
 Every Child Matters
 External scrutiny
The carrot….
Best practice
 Every child matters
 Good employer
 Good provider
 Global awareness
 Good citizenship
 Knowledge = Power

Helpful questions

Is HIV mentioned in school policies – such as policies for
inclusion, the general school, sex and relationships education –
and in school documents such as the prospectus or mission
statement?

Do all staff, including teachers and support staff, receive training
in HIV transmission and an awareness of the stigma faced by
those affected or infected with the virus?

Is HIV awareness part of your school development plan?

Does the entire school community have an understanding of the
issues raised by HIV, particularly stigma

Are you following universal first aid procedures?

Who are your named first aiders and when is their training review
Policy statement suggestion

[Name of school] acknowledges that chronic
illness such as diabetes, HIV and hepatitis can
impact on the child and their family in varying
degrees, mainly on attendance, behaviour and
educational attainment.
[Name of school] aims to create a supportive
environment and recognises that a child living
with or affected by a chronic illness has the
right to access education and that support will
be provided to the child and their family.
If a child tells you about his/her own
status or parents’ status
Reassure the child that this information
will be kept confidential.
 Explain that the school wants to support
the pupil and has simple systems to do
this.
 Suggest that the child tells his or her
parents about the information you have
been told, and arrange for the parents to
come to meet you.

If a parent tells you about HIV status






Reassure the parent that this information will be kept
confidential.
Explain that the school wants to support all its pupils
and that there is a simple system for supporting
infected and affected children.
Explain the system and the different roles staff have in
these systems.
Ask consent to arrange a meeting with other
appropriate members of staff, the parent and child
(where appropriate).
The parent may choose to involve the school nurse.
Organise the meeting with appropriate staff, parent
and child (where appropriate).
Getting the message right…
We’re in this together…

Happy to come along and
talk to governors, schools,
school nurses etc. and to
help schools develop
inclusive policies
 Positive Speakers
Programme
 World AIDS Day
awareness
Campaign pressure
We’re asking Government to:
 Provide schools with specific guidance on their
responsibilities to people living with HIV under the
Disability Discrimination Act 2005
 Ensure schools are maintaining the confidentiality of
HIV-positive pupils and staff members
 Ensure the changes to sex and relationships
education produce a curriculum which addresses both
the facts about HIV and teaches young people to be
supportive and non-discriminatory of those living with
HIV.
National Children’s Bureau

HIV in Schools - Good practice guide to supporting
children infected or affected by HIV- Magda Conway

Teaching & Learning about HIV: A teaching resource for
Keystage 1-4.

www.ncb.org.uk/hiv – access the above information from
this website along with details from the Children & Young
People HIV Network which develops national policy &
good practice for issues relating to children/young people
living with/affected by HIV.
National AIDS Trust
“HIV in Schools” Pack
HIV Facts
 Lesson Plans - key stage 3
 Lesson Plans – key stage 4
 Teaching about HIV in PHSE
 Assemblies and other ideas
 Further information and resources
 sheonaidh.johnston@nat.org.uk
0207 814 6729

Useful contacts






www.chiva.org.uk publications
www.cwac.org – Children with AIDS Charity, a national
organisation which provides information & resources.
www.avert – young person’s website including fun &
informative quizzes.
www.aidsmap.com – website with ordering facility for
informative booklets including “HIV & Children”.
www.nat.org.uk – National AIDS Trust is the UK’s
leading HIV & AIDS policy .development & advocacy
organisation.
www.positivelywomen.org.uk – website/publication
produced by women for women.
Thanks for listening
Contact details

Michelle Reid
michelle@ght.org.uk

0161 274 4499
www.ght.org.uk
0161 273 2901
www.barnardos.org.uk
Jill Hellings
jill.hellings@
barnardos.org.uk