Andy (not the real name) is two years old child, looks happy playing with boxes as car toys. The body is thin, fungus marks on his skin, arms, legs, and face. In two months he is normal. In third months, his weights decrease drastically and got many times illness. Eva (not the real name), the mother, said he got HIV infection and tuberculosis that infected by her husband. Andy is not alone; Indonesian Health Department has data that HIV in Indonesia is about 28,260 counted in June 2009. From this number, 2.5% is child under five years old. These innocent children got infected from the mother, that the husband whom like to playing with hookers and using injection drugs.
Professor Djayakusumah the chief of HIV/AIDS team Hasan Sadikin Hospital said the possibility of infection when still in the womb is 5 – 10%, because of delivery 10 – 20 %, and from breastfeeding is 10 – 12%. If has known the mother infected, must giving treatment to the mother for preventing the child being infected.
Children under five years that infected by HIV so far only can survive until 8 years old. But how people with HIV need to have a child? But don’t want the child to be infected by HIV. They can have a child with prevention from the mother to child transmition program. Doctor Sumantri the vice chief of HIV/AIDS team Hasan Sadikin Hospital said the HIV patient can have a child with some special rules. Infected males with immunity indicator increasing more then 500 mmรต CD4. The Viral in blood stream are being checked and also any wound or scratch in genital. The fertility of the female checked, and only the doctor can decide its okay. And, the mother is giving ARV (antiretroviral) when 7th months of pregnancy until delivery. The delivery method is Caesar operation. The ARV is giving to the baby for some weeks until the blood test show there is no virus in baby body. The mother cannot give breast-feeding to the baby.
They whom infected can survive if consumes the ARV regularly and free from the side effect. The children whom has infected by HIV must takes ARV in whole of their life.
People should concern for being checked because of the high risk. Before married, pregnant, employees’ recruitment, student recruitment, police and army recruitment, and working abroad should check. But it is cannot be done because violated the human right. HIV and AIDS knowledge must always spread to every working places, schools, and communities. Hope there is no children again like Andy.
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