International Workshop on Pediatrics & HIV 2024
Penta’s Young Reporters at the International Workshop on Pediatrics and HIV 2024
Arriving at the International Workshop on Pediatrics & HIV 2024, we felt a mix of nerves and excitement, knowing we were about to be surrounded by experts who spend their careers understanding and fighting the virus we live with every day. But as Young Reporters, we were determined to make sure we take what we can understand to share with other young people who need this knowledge.
The presentation by Anna Yakutsk from UNAIDS made us feel that we were not alone, but part of a global community. But it also made us feel sad that so many new infections are still happening. As she spoke about the significant strides made in pediatric HIV and the importance of ensuring access to testing and treatment, we considered that it's one thing to manage the medical side of HIV, but the emotional and social challenges can feel overwhelming. This was later highlighted by a session at the end of Day 2 which showed the impact of what youth-friendly HIV services can do for us.
One of the most enlightening sessions I attended was on the reasons for resistance of antiretroviral therapy for children. Dr. Natella Rakhmanina explained in such a way that made us feel like we understood what people mean when they say treatment ‘fails’. Hearing about this has inspired us to think about how we can support young people to talk to their doctors about this experience and the support needed to get through it. We have much to celebrate as new treatments become available, but for some of us, these are not options and this disappointment can be heavy to hold. But the reasons Natella shared helped us understand this better and not feel ashamed about medicine resistance.
One of us took part in the Youth Panel, which explored the shared stories of young people through diagnosis, transition and their treatment journey. We all felt proud to see the panel share experiences that are shared by many of us living with HIV. The spirit of resilience and advocacy shone through the session.
Though we were nervous to attend and did not understand all of the science details, it was a good experience. It gave us hope for the future, a greater understanding of the challenges we face, and a determination to advocate for ourselves and others living with HIV. The knowledge we gained we will share with our peers and it has helped us a lot.
Young Reporters 2024
For more information, you can find the the full article here: https://penta-id.org/news/penta-young-reporters-journey-at-the-international-workshop-on-pediatrics-and-hiv/