This study analyzed how a story for children related to AIDS contributed to the understanding of the health-disease process of children with HIV. It was conducted at the Pediatric Clinic in Porto Alegre/RS from May to December 2011. The participants were five children aged between seven and nine years and their caregivers. The data were collected by a focal group through interviews and submitted to thematic content analysis. Two categories were found: identification with the story, relationship with the health-disease process, understanding of the story, and the health-disease process. The results demonstrated that stories for children are resources to talk about the health-disease process with children without revealing the diagnosis, leading them to understand their situation and the importance of treatment. We considered that this resource may be a strategy to help the caregivers and health professionals to initiate the process of revelation of diagnosis.
Nursing; Child; HIV; Juvenile literature