Resumen

NXUMALO, Nomathemba; JANSE VAN RENSBURG, Zelda  y  JACOBS, Wanda. Exploring the experiences of school-going children with HIV in Eswatini: A qualitative inquiry. Afr. j. prim. health care fam. med. (Online) [online]. 2024, vol.16, n.1, pp.1-9. ISSN 2071-2936.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v16i1.4472.

BACKGROUND: Infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major disease in children, affecting an estimated 1.8 million children and adolescents worldwide. Eswatini has the highest prevalence of HIV in the world. Only 76% of children in Eswatini are on anti-retroviral treatment. AIM: This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of school-going children with HIV in Eswatini. Being aware of these children's experiences can assist schools in supporting them. SETTING: The study was conducted in four primary health care facilities in Eswatini. METHODS: Employing a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design, 12 school-going children with HIV were interviewed through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data were coded, categorised and clustered into themes and sub-themes using Georgi's data analysis. Ethical considerations and measures to ensure trustworthiness were adhered to throughout the study. RESULTS: The findings revealed three themes: Experiences after HIV disclosure, experience of disclosure and discrimination, and experience of desire to fulfil educational needs. Six sub-themes were identified: A feeling of sadness and worry relating to knowledge of HIV diagnosis, a desire to disclose their status to their teachers but not to their peers, a need for protection against discrimination, a desire to learn, illness affecting their learning and expectation for teachers to be supportive in their educational needs. CONCLUSION AND CONTRIBUTION: The findings of the study guided recommendations that may assist, the Eswatini Ministry of Health, schools, parents and caregivers, and siblings to support school-going children with HIV.

Palabras clave : children; Eswatini; human immunodeficiency virus; qualitative research; school.

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