HIV Teenagers to Adults

posted: 21/02/2011

Older teenagers with HIV are our HIV pioneers because they are the first generation of young people growing up with HIV. Being the first at anything is often exciting, but with HIV it can be much less fun and more of a struggle.
 

Making the change better

The Children and Young People HIV Network are working to make it easier to move from being a teenager with HIV to being an adult with HIV.

Young people with HIV have two main challenges 

• growing up from a child to adult with HIV (e.g. beginnning sex and relationships with HIV)
• moving from children's HIV clinic and education, into adult HIV services and employment or claiming benefits with HIV.

The Children and Young People’s HIV Network have now finished checking all the expert articles and books about changing from child to adult with HIV in a ‘literature review’.

They looked to learn lessons about improving the change from child to adult, including learning from experience with other conditions like diabetes and epilespy.

The HIV child to adult change literature review is here 

The review 

• has statistics about young people with HIV in the UK
• finds existing policies and guidelines for the child to adult change
• looks for useful lessons from other longterm conditions, like diabetes
• considers the needs of carers and family
• considers rural areas with very low numbers of young people with HIV.

Professionals tell us

Last week we pointed out the useful article where HIV health workers describe helping teenagers to make the change from child to adult with HIV, which is in the 200th issue of HIVTreatment Update.

Teens talking life with HIV
Two young people making these changes talk about their own lives. JD Bailey (20, female) talks about growing up with HIV, and Max, (19, male) talks about telling others about HIV
 

‘Transition of care from a paediatric to adult setting is not specific to HIV … However there are important differences … with HIV which may make this process more difficult’  Lyall, 2007.

Positive Teens to Adults

posted: 17/02/2011

Imagine being in your late teens living with HIV, having to swop the comfort and friendliness of the children’s HIV clinic for the strange unknown world of adult HIV services.
 

It’s tough enough being a teenager growing into adulthood, but with a stigmatised lifetime condition like HIV there are often extra challenges.

Older teenagers with HIV are learning to be pioneers and deserve our respect for that.

Health workers helping teenagers

Health professionals talk about helping teenagers with HIV make the change from teenager to adult and growing older with HIV in the 200th issue of HIVTreatment Update.

Teens talking life with HIV

Two young people making these changes talk about their lives. JD Bailey (20, female) talks about growing up with HIV, and Max, (19, male) talks about telling others about HIV.

Professionals for HIV Teens to Adults

posted: 21/01/2011

Professionals in the North of England interested in supporting young people with HIV to make the change from childrens to adult services, are invited to regional meetings.

Growing numbers of HIV teens to adults

Many of the children now growing up with HIV are becoming adults and will need to switch to services for adults. Children's and adults' services staff need to think, plan and work together, for a smooth transition between children’s and adult HIV and other services.

Invitation to regional focus group

The Children and Young People HIV Network has arranged focus groups for professionals in the North of England, (and meetings for other regions) to make a start on developing age transition services locally.

The HIV Network invites all children's and adults' professionals (health sector, social care, and community sector) who are, or will, deliver services to 10 – 24 year old young people living with HIV.

This is part of a three-year project to improve the transition of young people living with HIV from children's to adults' services. The project aims to develop capacity by improving partnership working and enabling quality service development, both clinical and social care.

These focus groups will

• find out any current local arrangements for young people living with HIV making the transition from children's to adults' services
• explore the successes and challenges of transition, in different areas, with different numbers of young people, and identify needs
• provide a networking and discussion opportunity for professionals interested in better transitions.

Transitions won't wait

Despite the current upheavals in health, community and social care, young people’s needs for a better transition will not wait. Each area’s professionals need to become involved.

This networking and sharing opportunity will provide professionals with some useful resources on HIV and transition, lunch, and even travel expenses help for some.
 

Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Birmingham

• For Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire – Manchester, 15 March, 14.00-16.30
• For North, West & South Yorkshire, East Riding, and Lincolnshire – Sheffield, 10 March, 13.30-16.00
• For Tyne and Wear, Co. Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland – Newcastle, 2 March, 10.00-12.30
• For West Midlands, and Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire – Birmingham, 15 March, 12.00-14.30.

Join the group where you would have the most service links. No transition arrangements yet? All the better if you attend.

People working with affected families of HIV-positive adolescents are also welcome, although the focus will be on the transition needs of the HIV+ young people.

Book a place
Please email the Children and Young People HIV Network, telling them which one you would like to attend. All places must be booked in advance so they can book suitable accommodation and cater effectively for all. Live elsewhere? - email the Network for details of meetings in other regions