Comment: Schools need much better guidance on HIV

Thursday 21 May 2009

There are around 1,500 children under the age of 19 living with HIV in the UK; the majority were born with the virus. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 makes it illegal to discriminate against people living with HIV and protects HIV-positive pupils and staff from discrimination, requiring schools to make reasonable adjustments to support them.

Despite these legal protections, the Children and Young People HIV Network, based at NCB, routinely hears of children being refused school places or excluded, and school staff being refused employment. In one case, a teacher who wrongly presumed a child knew her own diagnosis informed the child of her HIV status.

HIV is not a notifiable condition, which means individuals have the right to decide whether or not to disclose their status. There have been no known cases of HIV transmission in UK schools and it is important to note that an HIV-positive child poses no risk to pupils or staff. HIV cannot be transmitted through spitting, biting, small cuts or grazes, sharing utensils or toilet seats.

If HIV was not surrounded by stigma, it could be treated like any other condition but parents and young people are often advised not to tell anyone about their HIV status as they may encounter negative reactions. Confidentiality is incredibly important, in order to avoid bullying and to protect the status of the parents. However, these children often live their lives in secrecy, which can have a harmful impact on their social interaction.

The HIV Network and the National Aids Trust have pressed the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) for better guidance for schools on how to support HIV-positive children. Despite support from teaching unions, we have so far been unable to come to a consensus with the DCSF on this issue.

Maria Phelan, co-ordinator, Children and Young People HIV Network