HIV parents 'limit child kisses'

Some parents with HIV expressed concern about kissing their children

Many parents with HIV limit physical contact with their children because of fears they will pass on the virus or catch an infection, a US study says.

The Rand Corporation found one-third of the 344 parents it surveyed avoided hugging and kissing to some degree.

The research is published in Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Experts in the UK said they had not encountered HIV-positive parents changing their behaviour in the way the US study suggested.

Infection fears

HIV can be transmitted via blood, semen, vaginal fluids - including menstrual blood - and breast milk.

But it cannot be passed on via saliva, sweat or urine - or through the air like a cold or flu virus.

More work needs to be done to reassure parents about the limited transmissibility of HIV Dr Mark Schuster, Rand Corporation

The team from the Rand Corporation, a non-profit research organisation, interviewed HIV-positive parents of children under 18.

They were asked about their fears of transmitting the virus to their child or of catching infections from them and if such fears affected their behaviour in relation to cuddling or hugging, kissing on the cheek, kissing on the lips and sharing utensils.

Just under a third said they avoided one of these four types of interaction "a lot", with 22.2% highlighting not kissing on the lips and 17.7% not sharing utensils.

And more than 41% said they were worried about catching an infection, because of their weakened immune systems.

The researchers, led by Dr Mark Schuster, said: "The finding that more than one-third of parents fear transmitting HIV to their children suggests that more work needs to be done to reassure parents about the limited transmissibility of HIV."

'Surprising findings'

But Jackie Redding, of the UK's Terrence Higgins Trust, said she had not encountered parents with HIV changing their behaviour in similar ways to the adults in the US study.

"For most people, by the time they have had their babies, they understand HIV is not easily passed on," she said.

"I have encountered concerns where parents worry they are going to get sick and therefore not going to be around to look after their child."

She said others had expressed worries about negative attitudes their children may encounter if they tell school-friends of their parent's condition.

She added: "I am surprised at the findings in the US study. These sorts of fears often arise when people know little about how HIV is passed on, and knowledge is widespread in the US."