NCB Now: Comment -- Supporting young people growing up with HIV

In England and Wales, an individual who knowingly exposes another to HIV, where this results in infection, can be charged with grievous bodily harm for "intentional" or "reckless" transmission. Amid this debate, the impact of law on the 1,300 children and young people living with HIV in the UK must be addressed, and all young people informed of their rights and responsibilities.

Informing a young person of their diagnosis may involve discussions about illness, death, the sexual history of parents and stigma. For those infected in childhood, disclosure is a gradual process that must consider individual understanding and the context of stigma. When many young people are coming to terms with their status, they also need to be taught the importance of safer sex to avoid transmission of HIV and the potential implications of traumatic breaches of confidentiality, legal investigations and prosecutions. Young people living with HIV are expected to absorb complex information about their health and given legal responsibility for protecting the sexual health of their partners.