HIV and your childHHIV and your childHIV and your childEnglishInfectious DiseasesChild (0-12 years)BodyImmune systemConditions and diseasesCaregivers Adult (19+)NA8.9000000000000060.80000000000001339.00000000000Health (A-Z) - ConditionsHealth A-Z
Learn how children get HIV, how it affects their bodies, and what you need to do as a parent to keep your child as healthy as possible.
What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus.HIVis a virus that infects certain white blood cells of the immune system. It makes the immune system weaker over time. This puts a person at risk for other serious infections.
Key points
Children can get HIV from their mothers during pregnancy, at birth or through breastfeeding, through blood or blood products that are infected with HIV, or through infected needles or surgical equipment.When a child has HIV, the virus takes over and destroys certain types of white blood cells that fight infection and weakens the immune system.In Canada, c