| Abstract: | In anticipation of social discrimination, an estimated 65% of parents of HIV-infected children in Chile do not inform school authorities of their child's infection. In several well-publicized cases, disclosure of a child's HIV status resulted in the child's expulsion from a preschool or primary school. In response to this situation, the Faculty of Education of Bias Canas Catholic University launched a program in 1992 aimed at educating teachers about HIV/AIDS and the special needs of infected children. The program is being implemented, in conjunction with the Interdisciplinary Project on Children and HIV/AIDS, in the cities with the highest HIV prevalences: Antafagasta, Concepcion, Valparaiso, and Santiago. Community-based educational programs have been organized to dispel misinformation about HIV/AIDS and counter prejudice. In addition, programs for teachers focused on the integration of HIV-infected children into the school system have been held. Costs for the teacher training are shared by the participating teachers, their school, and the program. A second program--Integral Attention for Seropositive Children--has been initiated and university students connected to the program are serving as interns in Santiago preschools. The experiences of both these programs have been recounted in a manual and video. |
