The daily Life of children infected by HIV in the process of becoming adolescent

compromise and pos­ sibilities to the care for themselves

Authors

  • Cristiane C. Paula Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Ivone E. Cabral
  • Ívis Emilia O. Souza

Keywords:

child health, teen health, pediatric nursing, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, STD

Abstract

Introduction: children with vertical transmission HIV/aids pass from childhood to adolescence and little is known about how they care about themselves. Objective: understand the possibilities of the care for oneself in the daily life of adolescents with aids. Methods: phenomenological interview was developed with 11 non-institutionalized 12-14 year-old-boys and girls with disclosed diagnosis from Brazilian teaching hospitals. The project was approved by the Ethics Review Committees. Heiddeger’s hermeneutic analyzes was applied. Results: since that “thing in the blood” was found they have to take medication everyday, many times and ever. When they discovered about the “virus”, they understood that they had to take care of their health to continue alive, to go alone to consultation, to take medical exams and have control about their treatment. Due to adolescence they have to change doctors. They have to take medication in the right way to be healthy, to have biological immunity, and avoid diseases and “worst things”. They get tired. The pills’ size/flavor is bad and interfere in their daily live. Some take medication alone, but following the treatment is hard, so they need help. Some never stopped the treatment, however, others did that due to medical orientation or because they did not accept the “problem”. They know that nutrition and physical activities help the treatment. Conclusion: aids determined a special need in their health: the medication technology dependency. The facticity involved them in a web care by professionals and relatives. During childhood, they needed family care integrally; and, in the transition from childhood to adolescence, they have to take care of themselves acquiring responsibilities with-themselves and being helped by relatives. Thus, children were revealed in the movement from being- cared-for to being-cared-with.

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Author Biographies

Cristiane C. Paula, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Enfermeira, Mestre em Enfermagem pela Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (EE/UFRGS/RS/BR), Doutora pela Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (EEAN/UFRJ/RJ/BR), Professora-Assistente do Departamento de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (DEnf/UFSM/RS/BR) na área de Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente. Líder do Grupo de Pesquisa Cuidado às Pessoas, Famílias e Sociedade (UFSM) e Membro do Núcleo de Pesquisa de Enfermagem em Saúde da Criança (NUPESC/EEAN/UFRJ).

Ivone E. Cabral

Enfermeira, Doutora pela UFRJ. Pós-Doutorado na McGill University (Canadá). Professora-Associada do Departamento de Enfermagem Materno- Infantil (DEMI) da EEAN/UFRJ. Pesquisadora do CNPq e do NUPESC (EEAN/UFRJ). Diretora do CEPEn da ABEn-Na.

Ívis Emilia O. Souza

Enfermeira, Doutora pela UFRJ. Professora-Titular do DEMI da EEAN/ UFRJ. Membro do NUPESC (EEAN/UFRJ) e Membro da Diretoria Colegiada do Núcleo de Pesquisa de Enfermagem em Saúde da Mulher (UFRJ).

Published

2008-12-01

How to Cite

1.
Paula CC, Cabral IE, Souza Ívis EO. The daily Life of children infected by HIV in the process of becoming adolescent: compromise and pos­ sibilities to the care for themselves. DST [Internet]. 2008 Dec. 1 [cited 2024 Nov. 21];20(3-4):173-8. Available from: https://bjstd.org/revista/article/view/944

Issue

Section

Original Article