You’re open to HIV+ adoption? Say what?!?
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We’ve shared on Facebook a few times about our openness to adopt a child with HIV when we're ready to add to our family again. We’ve talked about it with friends off-line. And, in doing so, we’ve realized a lot of folks just don’t know much about HIV in 2013. Which brought me to write this…
I get it.
I thought the same thing when we first started looking at waiting child listings before we adopted Zoe.
“Oh, that poor thing. He has HIV. It’s so sad he doesn’t have a family.”
And then I moved on to the next listing, because really? Why would anyone put themselves and their families at risk by adopting a child with HIV?
Then, as we read more and learned more, we realized that our understanding of HIV was stuck in the 80s.
You know, with big hair, leg warmers, the Cold War, shoulder pads, and an MTV that actually played music videos.
Now?
HIV is a manageable chronic illness. Meds called ARVs can make the virus undetectable in blood samples. With ARVs, children with HIV can live normal lifespans.
HIV no longer means AIDS is inevitable.
And contracting it? No, if we adopt a child with HIV, we won’t be putting the rest of our family at risk. Why? Well, because we won’t be sharing needles with each other, our next kiddo won’t be breastfeeding us, and none of us will have any sexual activity with our new arrival. Those are the primary ways that the virus is spread.
In fact, in 2009, the CDC removed HIV from their List of Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance. While adopting a child with HIV or otherwise immigrating with the virus used to require additional paperwork, it doesn’t anymore. Furthermore, HIV has never been transmitted in typical household interactions.
So what will we do if we adopt a child who is HIV+?
We’ll cuddle with all of our kids, and they will take baths together, and we’ll wrestle, and we’ll wipe snotty noses, and we’ll change diapers, and we’ll share the occasional cup or utensil or plate, and we’ll hug, and we’ll share sweat and tears, and we’ll probably cough and sneeze on each other. (Hey, it happens.) If we do adopt a child with HIV, we’ll add him to our health insurance like any other new arrival, because adoption is treated like birth (in other words, pre-existing conditions aren’t a factor).
In other words, we’ll be a family.
{for more on HIV+ adoption, visit Project Hopeful. watch the video below to learn more.}
I get it.
I thought the same thing when we first started looking at waiting child listings before we adopted Zoe.
“Oh, that poor thing. He has HIV. It’s so sad he doesn’t have a family.”
And then I moved on to the next listing, because really? Why would anyone put themselves and their families at risk by adopting a child with HIV?
Then, as we read more and learned more, we realized that our understanding of HIV was stuck in the 80s.
You know, with big hair, leg warmers, the Cold War, shoulder pads, and an MTV that actually played music videos.
Now?
HIV is a manageable chronic illness. Meds called ARVs can make the virus undetectable in blood samples. With ARVs, children with HIV can live normal lifespans.
HIV no longer means AIDS is inevitable.
And contracting it? No, if we adopt a child with HIV, we won’t be putting the rest of our family at risk. Why? Well, because we won’t be sharing needles with each other, our next kiddo won’t be breastfeeding us, and none of us will have any sexual activity with our new arrival. Those are the primary ways that the virus is spread.
In fact, in 2009, the CDC removed HIV from their List of Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance. While adopting a child with HIV or otherwise immigrating with the virus used to require additional paperwork, it doesn’t anymore. Furthermore, HIV has never been transmitted in typical household interactions.
So what will we do if we adopt a child who is HIV+?
We’ll cuddle with all of our kids, and they will take baths together, and we’ll wrestle, and we’ll wipe snotty noses, and we’ll change diapers, and we’ll share the occasional cup or utensil or plate, and we’ll hug, and we’ll share sweat and tears, and we’ll probably cough and sneeze on each other. (Hey, it happens.) If we do adopt a child with HIV, we’ll add him to our health insurance like any other new arrival, because adoption is treated like birth (in other words, pre-existing conditions aren’t a factor).
In other words, we’ll be a family.
{for more on HIV+ adoption, visit Project Hopeful. watch the video below to learn more.}