Over one-fourth of HIV-infected parents reported avoiding certain physical interactions, like hugging or kissing, with their children due to a fear of transmitting the disease or of contracting an infection from them, according to an article in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Of adults receiving care for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the U.S., 28 percent have children younger than 18 years old, according to background information in the article. These children, although not infected themselves, may be greatly affected by the disease. Because HIV patients can both transmit the virus and may be vulnerable to opportunistic infections (occurring in people with weakened immune systems), a fear of infection may affect parent-child interactions.
Mark A. Schuster, M.D., Ph.D., from RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif., and colleagues conducted interviews with 344 parents receiving health care for HIV in the U.S. Participants were asked how much they feared getting an infection from their children and how much they feared transmitting HIV to their child. They were then asked how much these fears led them to avoid interactions with their children including cuddling or hugging, kissing on the cheek, kissing on the lips, and sharing utensils.