Our paediatric clinical nurse specialists draw on a wide range of educational materials to help young people and their families understand their bodies, their health and HIV better. As the Regional Paediatric HIV Unit for the West Midlands, we focus on enabling and empowering our patients with knowledge. Below are some of our most essential resources, which we add to and update routinely.
Web Links
Pozitude is a web site set up by a group of young people who are living with an HIV positive status. The young people who developed the content have provided brilliant information about the facts, the fantasies, the realities and the myths about living with HIV. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions and share ideas, come and find friends, but most importantly keep a positive attitude about their journey ahead. Visit Pozitude.
The young people’s area of CHIVA’s website is filled with fantastic resources (there are also areas for parents and professionals). The website is designed to provide young people with the information they need to know about HIV, such as where they can go to get support, and to offer answers to the many questions young people have about their HIV diagnosis. Visit CHIVA’s young people’s website.
Documents
This short booklet introduces children and parents to the basics about bacteria, disease and the immune system. This is a great way to begin to understand how HIV prevents the body fighting bacteria and viruses in the way it should. The booklet also explains how medicines can help the immune system fight disease better. Download the booklet as a PDF.
In Ellie’s Medicine, we explain all about how medicine is used to fight disease. Ellie is a little girl feeling poorly, who dreams about the doctor diagnosing her illness, the pharmacist explaining what medicines she is taking, and about a visit to the medicines factory to find out how they are made! The booklet aims to teach children that medicines are safe – and always improving, thanks to science. Download the booklet as a PDF.