Assisting HIV-Infected Mothers in Disclosing Their Serostatus to Their Children

HIV is a serious, life threatening illness that requires a lifetime of treatment and disease
management. Studies have shown that it can be very difficult for infected mothers to decide
whether and/or when to disclose their HIV serostatus to their uninfected children.
HIV-infected parents struggle with the fear that their children will be forced to grow up
too quickly, become worried or depressed, or be angry with their parents once they learn
that their parents have HIV. Family-based intervention programs have been successful in
helping facilitate the disclosure process. This study will develop and evaluate the
effectiveness of an intervention designed to assist HIV-infected mothers of young children
in determining whether and how to appropriately disclose their HIV serostatus to their
children.

Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or a
standard of care condition. The intervention will consist of three 75-minute sessions that
will focus on exploring mothers' concerns, determining children's readiness to receive the
news, planning for disclosure, and practicing disclosure. Participants will also receive one
follow-up phone call from the therapist about 3 weeks after the last session. Sessions will
be scheduled at times that are convenient for the participants and therapists. Follow-up
visits will include both mothers and their children, and will be held at Months 3, 6, and 9
following the end of the intervention. Assessments will include readiness to disclose HIV
serostatus, mental health indicators, and family functioning.