Hhohho– Today, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Eswatini (NCME), together with its partners Frontline AIDS, convened caregivers and beneficiaries of the READY Project for an interactive session focused on how to safely, gradually, and supportively disclose HIV status to children and adolescents. The engagement formed part of NCME’s broader commitment to strengthening family-centered HIV care and ensuring that young people grow up informed, supported, and empowered.
Why Disclosure Matters
For many families, disclosing an HIV-positive status to a young person can be emotionally overwhelming. Caregivers often struggle with questions like: When is the right time? How much should I say? Will this affect my child’s confidence or trust in me? The session at Ndvwabangeni recognised these realities and created a safe space to unpack them. Facilitators explained that disclosure is not a single event, but a process — one that, when handled well, helps young people adhere to treatment, understand their health, and build resilience.
A Step-by-Step Approach to Disclosure
The training outlined five key stages that caregivers can follow:
- Assessing Readiness
Caregivers were encouraged to first evaluate whether they themselves are ready to talk about HIV, and whether the child is emotionally and mentally prepared. Readiness includes understanding HIV, being able to answer basic questions, and choosing an appropriate time and setting. - Building Trust
Before disclosure, families should cultivate open and age-appropriate conversations about health, medicine, and the importance of clinic visits. When children are used to honest conversations, disclosure becomes less frightening and more natural. - Partial Disclosure
Rather than telling everything at once, caregivers can start by explaining that the child has a health condition that requires ongoing care and medicine. This stage introduces the idea without naming HIV immediately, especially for younger children. - Full Disclosure
When the child is old enough to understand (often in later childhood or early adolescence), caregivers can clearly explain that the health condition is HIV. Facilitators emphasised that this step should be done with warmth, honesty, and reassurance — letting the child know that HIV is manageable and that they are loved and supported. - Post-Disclosure Support
Disclosure does not end with telling the child their status. Ongoing counseling, follow-up conversations, answering difficult questions, and linking adolescents to peer-support platforms like READY are essential. This helps prevent fear, anger, or confusion and strengthens adherence to treatment.
Centering the Caregiver
The session also recognised that caregivers carry a heavy emotional burden. Some fear stigma, some still carry guilt, and some worry about how the community will react. NCME and Frontline AIDS encouraged them to seek support from health workers and project staff, reminding them that a supported caregiver becomes a better support system for the child.
Creating Safe Spaces for Young People
Through the READY Project, NCME is championing environments where adolescents can talk openly about HIV, sexuality, mental health, and treatment. Disclosure, when done properly, strengthens that environment — it allows young people to take ownership of their health, participate in their treatment, and plan for their future.
A Collective Effort
The Ndvwabangeni engagement showed the power of partnership: clinic staff, NCME facilitators, and Frontline AIDS working together to ensure that HIV is not just treated medically, but addressed socially and emotionally within families. It is through such community-level dialogues that stigma is reduced and young people are empowered to live fully.
At its heart, this initiative is about love, honesty, and dignity — helping families tell the truth in a way that heals, not harms. NCME will continue rolling out similar sessions in partnership with community clinics, ensuring that caregivers are equipped, adolescents are protected, and no young person walks the HIV journey alone.
