Book helps children understand their HIV diagnosis

A free book aimed at destigmatising HIV and helping children understand their diagnosis has been launched.

Illustrated by Jasmine Thompson and written by Katie Warburton, Grace, Gigi and HIV from Bristol charity Chiva, is now available in HIV centres nationwide.

Thompson said it was an "exciting" project that had "meaning and purpose" and hopes it makes children from all backgrounds feel represented.

Chiva CEO Amanda Ely said HIV is a life-long condition that "many children fear talking about" and "misunderstand" due to "misinformation and taboo" and hoped the book will inspire important conversations.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a blood-borne virus that attacks the body's immune system. There is no cure for it, but people can live long lives with treatment.

In the UK, most children and young people living with HIV had it passed on from their mother, according to the NHS.

The children's book follows a girl called Grace who has HIV, her family and her parakeet Gigi.

Thompson said they decided it was important to represent a mixed heritage dynamic in the book and to show that families that have a child with HIV in them "can look different".

"Also the siblings in the book - one of them is HIV positive and one isn't," she said.

"I hope it helps destigmatise and change the perspective on how people think life looks with HIV."

Thompson said it was an "exciting opportunity to create something with meaning and purpose".

Warburton, who is also a children's nurse and a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, said the story was inspired by experiences shared by parents and children.

"It was always important to us that children and parents were part of co-creating this book," she said.

"The story touches on some of the areas that could be challenging for children when living with a chronic condition, like having to leave school for hospital appointments and having blood tests.

"We also added messages from other children living with HIV in the back of the book."

Ely said the book is part of the charity's mission to help "young people of any age" understand their HIV better.

"We know that lots of children misunderstand what HIV means because of misinformation that still circulates," she said.

"We're hoping children can connect with Grace's story and feel like, 'That's a bit like what I go through'."

Physical copies can be obtained from the charity or HIV treatment centres, with digital copies released in May.

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