HIV/AIDS is a national pandemic that affects all people in the society. The disease has different social effects on population. One of the social effects of HIV/AIDS is that it causes stigmatization from members of the society. Societies perceive people suffering from the disease as immoral because they believe that many people contract the disease through sexual intercourse (Brock, 2008, p. 379). There are both long- and short-term effects that face people ailing from HIV/AIDS.
One of the long-term effects of children suffering from the disease include seclusion from the other children, which may affect them psychologically in their entire lives. Short term effects include frequent illnesses and treatments that may cost huge sums of money. Long-term effects on women include society stigmatization, loneliness and psychological effects (David, Lindy & Ingrid, 2010, p. 15). Short term effects include low self-esteem and conflicts that may arise between the families. Long-term effects on women include stigmatization by the society and psychological effects. Short-term effects include reduced productivity at work, sicknesses such as tuberculosis among many others. The effects are likewise similar among the elderly people suffering from the disease.
The prognosis
Once an individual contracts this disease, the body reacts in different ways. Various factors contribute to how an individual reacts to an infection. These factors include age, gender, mode of transmission and co-infections among many others. For example, when a person with the virus avoids sexual intercourse with people with the disease, he/she may live longer than those who engage in sexual intercourse. The rationale to explain this is that different people have different strains of the virus and when such virus enters the body, they weaken the white blood cells at a faster rate (Blumenreich, & Siegel, 2006, p. 81).
Social determinants associated with prognosis of HIV/AID infections
The rate of HIV/AIDS infections in most societies is due to a number of factors. They include the lack of viable employment, which makes people engage in bad behaviors, lack of quality education and awareness on the causes of HIV/AIDS, lack of accessibility to medical care, unpleasant neighborhood, and use of drugs, traditional and cultural beliefs among many others (Heymer, & Wilson, 2011, p. 281). The social determinants associated with worse prognosis are cultural beliefs and lack of awareness on the disease.
Relationship between Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS
Relationship of these two diseases is close and is referred to as co-epidemic (Heymer, & Wilson, 2011, p. 280). People suffering from HIV/AIDS are at risk of contracting TB. If TB is treated quickly, a patient can live longer. Rich people have an advantage because they can access to medicine quickly as opposed to poor people. This explains why the death rate is high in rural areas than in areas where people can afford medication.
References
Blumenreich, M. & Siegel, M. (2006). Innocent Victims, Fighter Cells, and White Uncles: A Discourse Analysis of Childrens Books about AIDS, Childrens Literature in Education, 37(1): 81-110.
Brock, R. (2008). An onerous citizenship : Globalization, cultural flows and the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Hari Kunzrus Transmission. Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 44(4):379-390.
David, P., Lindy, K., & Ingrid, B. (2010). Undergraduate nursing students attitudes towards caring for people with HIV/AIDS, In Nurse Education Today. 32(1):15-20.
Heymer, K. & Wilson, P. (2011). Treatment for prevention of HIV transmission in a localized epidemic: the case for South Australia, Sexual Health [Sex Health], 8(3): 280-94.
HIV is the short form of human immunodeficiency virus. When the person is infected with HIV, it is more likely that the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) will develop. HIV is a terrible condition because it cannot be cured. Once one has HIV, he or she will have to live with it for the rest of life. The virus infects T cells or CD4 cells. These cells are essential for the efficient functioning of the human immune system.
HIV destroys these cells and makes the human body vulnerable to various kinds of diseases. An infected individual can live up to ten years until HIV develops into AIDS. When the final stage occurs, the human immune system is too weak to resist even the slightest illnesses. As a result, one can die of the usual disease. The most common way of HIV/AIDS transition is the unprotected sexual contact. There is no cure for HIV. However, particular medicines can prolong the life of infected people (HIV Basics n.d.).
Nowadays, AIDS is regarded as the most urgent issue on the global level. The number of HIV-infected people is immense in South Africa. The virus is the public health threat. For instance, more than thirteen thousand residents died of AIDS in the U.S. in 2012. More than one million people died of AIDS in the world in 2014 (Basic Statistics n.d.). These rates prove the fact that HIV is the plague of the twenty-first century. Public health safety should be of primary concern.
HIV and AIDS rapid distribution resulted in million deaths of people. This epidemic also has changed the society drastically. The statistics showed that HIV was more often diagnosed in men who had sex with men. Due to this fact, people all over the world became extremely prejudiced against homosexual communities. Almost eighty countries in the world consider homosexuality illegal. Individuals who display the belonging to some of the GLBT communities can be even punished. Fowler (2014) writes that in some countries being a gay is like being a Jew in Nazis Germany.
In my opinion, the government should react timely and adequately to such issues as HIV/AIDS. President Barack Obama established the National HIV/AIDS Strategy in 2010. This program was the first comprehensive step towards fighting the problem (HIV/AIDS: Moving Forward n.d.).
The strategy was aimed at increasing the level of populations awareness concerning the ways of HIV transmission. The results show that the level of HIV-infected people decreases every year in America (HIV in the United States: At a Glance n.d.). This situation can be explained by the fact that Obamas administration improved the situation in term of public health safety.
Numerous institutions aim at providing the best health care and prevention services. The roles of medical professional and public health expert in HIV/AIDS treatment differ. According to Gebbie, Rosenstock, and Hernandez (2003), public health professionals aim at improving the health condition on the level of population.
They can work in schools or organizations. The task of the public health professional is to educate citizens, make as many people as possible aware of potential threats. Medical professional works with the individual. The medical nurse takes care of the particular patient and makes every effort to improve his or her health condition or prevent the risk. That is the primary difference between responsibilities of the public health professional and the medical professional.
In the New York state prisons, urgent attention is needed to reduce the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. From a survey done in the recent years, it has shown that the HIV infected inmates are increasing each year.
The inmates do not get enough and fair health care while in the prison. They should be educated and given prevention programs so that the transmission rate can reduce in the prisons as well as the community (Boutwell& Rich, 2004). The inmates are at a very high risk of contracting the virus and then they go back to the society with little idea of the disease; how it is spread and prevented. Therefore, the prisons have become breeding places for HIV/AIDS which then spreads to the community.
The health department in US intends to expand testing of HIV to the inmates because they found that twenty percent of the inmates are HIV positive (Mutter et al, 1994). The health department has initiated a program called pilot program that allocates the coordinators for patient care to HIV-infected inmates in the same jail. The program targets all the jails and aims at connecting all the HIV- positive inmates to the community care after they get released from the prison.
Efforts made to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS in the New York prisons
HIV rates are very high among the African American prisoners and it is six times that of the population in general. In the year 2008, more than twenty thousand inmates were HIV positive; the female inmates were the most affected with 1.9% while the male inmates were 1.7% (Boutwell& Rich, 2004).
The local facilities determine the medical care of any prison or jail. Generally, the inmates do not receive adequate health care that meet the standards of public health. In New York, there is a constitutional right for the healthcare of the prisoners. If care is not provided to them, then this is termed as an unusual punishment (Krebs, 2006). On the other hand, the inmates need to support their own care by understanding their illnesses and making sure that they obtain suitable care in the prison or jail.
The AIDS Institutes Criminal Justice Initiative (CJI) was created to respond to the prevention and services for the HIV positive inmates in the New York State. Its main goal is to offer a complete, unified range of excellent HIV prevention and helpful services to individuals as well as those going back to the society. The services are usually made to reduce the transmission of HIV in the prisons and to enhance good health and happiness of the individuals who already have the disease.
Factors that lead to the spread of HIV/ AIDS in the New York prisons
Since there is a great increase in the number of inmates getting infected with HIV/AIDs, the setting in the prisons should be a focus in addressing such epidemics. The inmates should be tested more often so that those infected with the disease are identified, and given adequate care while still in prison so that primary and secondary prevention goals are achieved (Krebs, 2006). Resources for carrying out routine testing should be available as well as provision of complete HIV care so that the epidemic is stopped.
HIV transmission among the New York prison inmates mainly occurs due to sex between two males or two females. Tattooing in the prisons also increases HIV transmission thus the need for HIV prevention programs in these prisons (Mutter R. et al, 1994).
It is apparent that HIV is transmitted in prisons due to the behaviors that occur among the inmates. From a survey done in the New York state prisons, the characteristics of the inmates who are likely to contract the disease while still in prison are: black and younger inmates, inmates who have been imprisoned due to sexual crimes and those inmates who have stayed in prison for a longer time.
List of References
Boutwell A& Rich J. (2004) HIV Infection behind bars. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 38(2):1761-1763.
Krebs C. (2006) Inmate factors associated with HIV transmission in prison. Criminology and Public Policy. 5(1):113-135.
Mutter R.et al. (1994) Evidence of intra prison spread of HIV infection. Archives of Internal Medicine. 154(7):793-795.
The last three decades bear testament to the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS on all spheres of society. No society has gone untouched by the epidemic. While poorer countries have the highest infection and casualty rates, richer countries continue to devote significant resources towards research and financing of the fight against the virus.
San Francisco represents the developed world while sub-Saharan Africa represents one of the worst hit regions by HIV. The goal of this paper is to compare the impacts of the epidemic on these two regions by looking at the driving factors and the intervention efforts by the church.
San Francisco holds an important place in California. It was once the largest settlement in the east coast of the United States. It played a significant role in the Second World War by acting as an exit point for troops headed towards the pacific.
This city became the heart of civil liberties movements in the United States after the war. The movements set out to expand the traditional definitions of marriage and to mainstream same-sex unions. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the largest community living with HIV in the city is gay (San Francisco AIDS Foundation).
Another factor driving up infection rates in the city is drug use characterized by sharing of syringes. As the drug problem spread out in America, San Francisco took its share of the burden, resulting in a large community of addicts. Access to syringes has improved over time but it remains a controversial intervention in the control of the spread of HIV.
The HIV case in Sub Saharan Africa lies in the larger issues of poverty, tradition, and ignorance (Umunna 25). This part of the world provides case studies on absolute poverty (WHO and UNAIDS 20). As a region, Sub Saharan Africa is home to majority of the worlds poor and has some of the most deplorable health care systems. Because of poverty, the infection rates have soared since most people do not have access to credible information because there is no infrastructure to relay the information (WHO and UNAIDS 20).
Traditions amongst the people living in sub Sahara Africa also contributes significantly to the spread of HIV. Some of them promote practices such as wife inheritance, communal circumcision using the same set of knives and polygamy. All these are risk factors in enhancing the spread of the virus. Ignorance makes it impossible for the people to know how to conduct themselves to avoid infection such as mother to child transmission.
A keen look at the factors driving the spread of HIV in both areas reveals that the same basic elements are responsible for the spread of infection. Sharing of needles and knives both use the same transmission mechanism of sharing infected instruments. The major mode of HIV transmission, which is sex with an infected partner, plays a big role in both places where people have multiple sex partners.
In San Francisco, they are mainly same sex couples while in sub Saharan Africa, traditions allow for polygamy and wife inheritance, which both amount to sharing multiple sex partners. In the event that one person in the pool contracts the virus, then all the people involved end up infected.
The main difference between the nature of infection in San Francisco and in Sub Saharan Africa comes from the economic divide that characterizes the two locations. San Francisco is relatively wealthier and better connected than Sub Saharan Africa. It is easier to use community-based programs in San Francisco to control infection rates in San Francisco because of the infrastructural outlay already available.
However, in sub Saharan Africa, limited communication infrastructure delays transmission of information and materials for use to prevent the spread on HIV. In conclusion, the social and economic disposition of a region influences how HIV spreads and influences the results of the efforts to control it (Umunna 27).
The church is one of the important players in the fight against HIV. The church has certain unique characteristics that place it strategically as a key institution in the fight against HIV. The church is an outward looking entity with a mission that seeks to engage with its immediate community.
Normally, church outreach efforts target the less privileged and the vulnerable in society. These segments of the society suffer most from the impact of HIV in both San Francisco and in Sub Saharan Africa. Churches have programs to help widows, orphans, the sick, and drug addicts by offering practical help and hope.
One such church is the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco which felt firsthand the devastating impact of the virus in the mid eighties when there was no effective means to manage the epidemic (MCCSF). This church developed mechanisms to support members affected by the disease. It meant taking care of widows, providing emotional and spiritual support for orphans and sensitizing the community on the impacts of the virus.
In sub Saharan Africa, a large segment of the population is religious. This means that there is a favorable disposal by the communities to the messages given by clerics. Primarily, churches concern themselves with the moral issues sorrounding sex and as such, they are able to dissuade sexual relations outside marriage and sex with multiple partners because of the spiritual ramifications.
In addition, the churches, just like in San Francisco, are part of the community efforts in taking care of AIDS orphans, widows, and patients. Some of them run hospitals where medical care is available for HIV patients. The key message that the church has towards the world is compassion and this is the key requirements for dealing with the aftermath of the epidemic.
However, the church does not promote the full range of measures available for prevention of the spread of HIV since some of them go against the principles that the church stands for. The most significant issue in this regard is the condom debate.
On one hand, research reports indicate that there is a significant reduction in the chances of infection by using a condom when having sex. However, churches cannot embrace this approach because of the moral issues surrounding sex between unmarried parties. The Catholic Church actually rejects the condom in total because it goes against the natural philosophy that it believes ought to govern sexual relations.
The fitting conclusion is that the church has assets and presence in both sub Saharan Africa and in San Francisco which are vital in the fight against AIDS. However, it is impractical to expect the church to abandon its traditional values to embrace the full range of options available in the fight. Therefore, the best thing is to allow the church to play the roles that suits it best in the fight against HIV without interfering with its core message.
Works Cited
MCCSF. History of Metropolitan Community Church San Francisco. 2011. Web.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Statistics. 2011. Web.
Umunna, Gregory Ejiogu. HIV/AIDS: Political Will and Hope. USA: Xlibris Corporation, 2011.
WHO and UNAIDS. AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2009. Geneva: WHO Regional Office Europe, 2009.
HIV/AIDS continues to be a leading cause of alarm globally. New infections and deaths due to HIV/AIDS related complications are major issues that need to be dealt with urgently. It is particularly alarming in the sub-Saharan Africa where an average of 10% HIV prevalence in adults has been recorded. This is very high compared to the global average of 1%. The Southern Africa region accounts for about 40% of the global population living with HIV.
However, the female gender is more affected by the pandemic with women and girls accounting for about 60% of this population. Although the records indicate optimistic results, there is still need to enhance the campaign. In San Francisco, the new infections and death tolls may be on a down slope but the marginalized groups are still at a risk and this needs to be addressed. In this paper the key drivers of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa and San Francisco will be discussed.
HIV/AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa
The extent of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the region can be attributed to such things as; Sexual behavior-many men and women in the region have different sex partners concurrently; these may be in cases of polygamy, small houses (side partners apart from spouse) and prostitution.
Many of them do not use condoms consistently meaning that safe sex practice has not been cultivated in them (Jana et al, 13-16). Secondly, male circumcision is practiced in very low levels and as we know, male circumcision is a major boost in the prevention efforts so lack of it is on the contrary. A third driver is the stigma associated with infection. This lack of acceptance by the individual and the community forces an infected person to keep their status secret which leads to further spread of the virus.
In some cases some people do not want to know their status for fear of stigmatization and this brings down the efforts of treating the infected persons. Also many sexually transmitted infections go untreated mainly due to this fear and they are a factor that encourages HIV infection. Male attitudes towards gender related issues such as reproductive health is also another contributing factor.
Men do not involve themselves in such issues and therefore many of them lack the knowledge to curb the pandemic. They involve themselves in intergenerational sex, gender based violence and sexual violence. This means that the women and girls are the major victims of the mens ignorance hence the high number of infections in females (Expert Think Tank Meeting on HIV Prevention in High-Prevalence Countries in Southern Africa 5-7).
HIV/AIDS in San Francisco
In San Francisco, the efforts of prevention and treatment have born fruits since the number of new infections and HIV/AIDs related deaths is on a downward trend. The reduction in these numbers can be highly attributed to the change of sexual behavior in heterosexual men and women and non-injecting drug users.
Cases of new infections in these groups of people are very rare. However, there are still other driving forces in the spread of the disease and these include; Homosexual behavior; men who have sexual relationships with other men are at a major risk of infection. Transfemales are also another group of people who are on the higher side of the risk and hence their behavior is a key driver for the epidemic.
Injection drug use is another major driving force. HIV transmission among this group of people is very likely and so the risk of new infections is unacceptably high. Disparities and unequal treatment for different groups of people may have been a major drawback on the efforts but it is now on the downward slope. This is as a result of the efforts by different care groups to involve representation of all the communities; including the marginalized groups, in the decision making process (San Francisco HIV Prevention Plan 1).
Comparison between the key Drivers in the two regions
The driving forces in these two regions are very different since they are driven by the peoples lifestyles which in these cases are worlds apart. As a comparison of the key drivers in these regions, we look at the drivers the way they affect the efforts made to eradicate the disease.
As we have seen in the discussion earlier, the major driving forces in the sub Saharan Africa can be attributed to the regions position in terms of development. Most countries in the region are developing countries; and factors such as gender and sexual violence, poverty which leads to intergenerational sex and prostitution especially in women are inherent in these countries.
This makes the prevention and treatment processes very hard since some people are driven to the wall by circumstances; meaning that they may be willing to change their ways but the situations they are in cannot allow that.
In San Francisco however, the major driving force is the sexual orientation of individuals as well as drug and substance abuse. These can not be attributed to under development, therefore, the efforts to curb the epidemic can only be strengthened by the peoples willingness to change their ways.
If the high risk groups of people are willing, they can put in their efforts; for instance, the gay community can accept to learn and use preventive measures, the drug users can accept rehabilitation plans or in extreme cases they should take precautions in their sharing.
The Response of the Church to the Key Drivers of HIV/AIDS
The church has made a lot of efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDs; However, this has not prevented the spread of the disease. This continued deterioration can be attributed to the churches ethical, liturgical and ministerial practices. These have encouraged the spread of the disease both passively and actively. These factors include the lack of an open, realistic way of involvement due to the shyness in addressing sex education and sexuality issues which are involved in prevention of HIV spread.
Exclusion, theological interpretation of scriptures and definition of sin have contributed to increase stigmatization and suffering. A plan has been put forward to add an ecumenical dimension to the churchs effort and if implemented, it is bound to yield better results (Global consultation on the ecumenical response to the challenge of HIV/AIDS in Africa 9)
In the US, the churchs involvement is mainly through faith based organizations. These have continually offered support to the infected and affected in terms of medical care, food supplies, cancelling and the general support needed morally and spiritually. They have also offered care to the care givers and education to the communities on the risk factors and prevention services.
The government has since supported these organizations through federal funding. Laws have also been put down to prevent discrimination against such organization, the beneficiary or volunteer on the basis of religion. Also, it ensures that nobody should be forced to get involved in any religious activity involuntarily. These partnerships ensure that the churchs efforts are delivered painlessly and the beneficiaries are satisfied.
Conclusion
From these findings, we can conclude that the spread of HIV is highly dependent on a peoples lifestyle. This covers the level of development, the cultural beliefs and religious beliefs. The Church and the various arms of government can play a major role in the effort to curb the pandemic especially when they work together.
Works Cited
Expert Think Tank Meeting on HIV Prevention in High-Prevalence Countries in Southern Africa. SADC 2006: 5-10. Web.
Global consultation on the ecumenical response to the challenge of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The Ecumenical Response to HIV/AIDS in Africa 2001: Web.
Jana Mere, Nkambule Paul and Tumbo D; One Love: Multiple and concurrent Sexual Partnerships in Southern Africa: A Ten Country Research Report. 2008:13-36 Web.
San Francisco HIV Prevention Plan. San Francisco HIV Prevention Planning Council 2010: 1-3. Web.
Key Drivers of HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa and San Francisco
Disease epidemics are largely caused by specific historic, political, economic, and cultural aspects. In this respect, the infection spread is often regarded as a social rather than biological process. The plague of the twenty-first century is AIDS that have been caused by a complex of cultural, economic and political conditions. Specifically, gender inequalities, genocide, poverty, and many other factors have had a destructive impact on the situation in developing countries (Kalipeni 15).
Due to the lack of resources, consistent infrastructures, and effective governance, these economies have been struck by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS. The African continent has undergone the worst shifts, particularly its Sub-Saharan region. However, poverty is only one of the key drivers of disease epidemic because there are many cultural, moral, and ethnic determinants influencing the situation.
To enlarge on this issue, the rate of people suffering from HIV/AID is significant. Irrespective of local conditions and geographical peculiarities, the reasons for HIV/AIDS emergence are rooted in a complex mix of political, social, and economical factors that drive the epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and San Francisco. The nature of these factors is different, but refers to the common categories.
The most tangible of epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa is strongly associated with gender issues. Specifically, such problems as gender inequalities and gender vulnerabilities, violence, and many other gender-related challenges are on the South African agenda (Gender and Inequalities and HIV n. p.).
Gender inequalities are more related to masculinity implying that males are likely to have more sexual partners. This is of particular concern to men having relationship with much younger women. Further, force sex and violence of physical and emotional character are experienced by women who are less resistant to these threats. What is more threatening is that women have a lesser access to HIV/AID prevention plans causing restrictions to a decision-making process.
Poverty and migrations are also among the core reasons for spread of the dangerous epidemic. Specifically, HIV prevention programs are often halted due to the lack of funding. These socioeconomic obstacles prevent the population from receiving sufficient financial, moral, and social support from developed countries (Kalipeni 205).
This also explains why AIDS pandemic is still the major threat to our plant (Kelly 26). Despite the fact that many scientific and technological advances directed at preventing the disease have been introduced, the evidence shows that they have little impact on the developing countries having much lesser access to financial resources.
Cultural believes, morale, and ethics are decisive in defining the underpinnings of increased rates of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. While attaining much importance to cultural forces, it should be noted that educational and information reforms must be introduced to increase the population knowledge and promote generally accepted educational standards (Kalipeni 17). Lack of information and responsiveness explains the inefficiency of prevention plan because cultural constraints determine the results.
Although the United States belong to one of the most developed economies, the rate of AID/HIV creates a serious challenge to the US government. The problem is of particular concern to San Francisco region where the epidemic is also on the rise. The contributing factors involve sexual orientation issues, injection drugs problems, and racial discrepancies. Heterosexuality can be largely associated with psychological, behavioral, and ethical patterns that are strongly associated with homosexuals (Kelly 45).
Injection drugs are also toughly connected with the development of AIDS/HIV because they reflect the behavioral and psychological patterns that are typical of citizens (Rao and Svenkerud 86). In this respect, the prevention programs should be culturally sensitive and oriented on shaping new cultural patterns.
Finally, racial discrepancies influence greatly the situation with AIDS increased rate as far as immigration issues are concerned. To be more precise, African Americans have higher rates of reported HIV cases among which are such categories as MSM and trans-persons are included (San Francisco HIV Prevention Plan 3).
In conclusion, the analysis of social, cultural and political situations in Sub-Saharan region and San Francisco has revealed that that there are a great number of factors contributing to the spread of the epidemic.
In particular, the key driving factors of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan African involve gender inequality, poverty and migration, and cultural beliefs. In its turn, San Francisco high rates are largely predetermined by sexual orientation, injection drugs proliferation, and racial discrepancies. All these factors can be embraced into a complex mix of social, cultural, and economical issues.
Differences and Similarities of Factors Driving HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa and San Francisco
The identification of factors triggering the rise of HIV/AIDS in the regions has uncovered a number of distinctive differences and similarities. Before analyzing those, it should be stressed that pandemic is a social process that touches upon many political, ethnic, racial, cultural, and economical issues, which is the explicit similarity related to issue.
Another common feature refers to the sexual orientation problem, particularly to homosexual males who have greater risk of being infected by the disease. Hence, due to male gender prevalence in South Africa, men are more likely to be sexually promiscuous.
Despite similarities, there are obvious distinctions predetermined largely by economical and political conditions. Specifically, the level of poverty is different and, as a result, the causes of pandemic differ as well. South African region refers to developing economies whereas San Francisco in much more advanced in these terms. In addition, there are also discrepancies in cultural beliefs and perceptions. Lack of education and deficiency in understanding the problem prevents African people from embracing the seriousness of the issue.
Churchs Response to AIDS Pandemic
Today, African religious institutions are primarily considered as healing ministries. This tendency has come to the forth when it comes in Christian traditions in African region as far as the problem of AIDS spread is concerned.
The analysis of religious background of churches in Zimbabwe and other countries of Southern region have revealed that religion considers AIDS as a deviation of behavior and rejection to follow the main principles of religion (Dube 27). The church reaction on the epidemic, therefore, can be considered through wider applications of religion to AID/HIV problem.
Judging from the above, Churches in African places an emphasis on moral dimension to eliminate spiritual and physical suffering that people endeavor because of the disease.
In this respect, the Christian communities are more presented as mentors and teachers encouraging people to fight with the pandemic and resort to pre-caution methods. Their actions are directed at increasing peoples awareness and promoting specific educational programs based on the Biblical principles. The reforms concern both the infected people and the one who face this threat.
Works Cited
Dube, Lilian et al. African Initiatives in Healing Ministry, South Africa: UNISA Press, 2011. Print.
Gender and Inequalities and HIV . Gender, Women and Health. World Health Organization. 2011. Web.
Kalipeni, Ezekiel, et al. HIV and AIDS in Africa: Beyond Epidemiology, New Jersey: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Print.
Kelly, Michael. HIV and AIDS: A Social Justice Perspective. Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications, 2010. Print.
Rao, Nagesh, and Peer J. Svenkerud. Effective HIV/AIDS prevention communication strategies to reach culturally unique populations: lesson learned in San Francisco, U. S. A and Bangkok, Thailand. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 22.1 (1998): 85-105. Print.
San Francisco Prevention Plan. Introduction. SFHIV. 2010. Web.
It is evident that the Aids epidemic is a globally potential threat. This means that it is an epidemic of an infectious deadly disease, which threatens the lives of many people globally. In addition to this, Aids is also an epidemic of meanings or signification. This means that people often identify the epidemic with certain people, beliefs and occurrences. If medical practitioners and the public continue to see Aids as a transmissible disease only, then various meanings or signification will continually multiply (Treichler, 264).
The issue of Aids as an epidemic of meanings is very crucial for its identification and management. These meanings or signification include cultural or racial difference, which is the main concern of this paper. The paper will argue that, Aids has meanings or signification in relation to cultural and racial difference. For instance, the epidemic is more prevalent in Black Americans as well as Haitians.
In late 1986, the Center for Disease Control produced a list of the highly susceptible groups in relation to Aids infection. This list included the homosexuals, black immigrants and Heroin Addicts.
This list revealed that being a particular kind of a person rather than practicing certain practices was a major factor in Aids infection. The implication here is that racial or cultural difference plays a significant role in susceptibility to Aids infection (Treichler, 217).
Various studies have recorded that in the United States, the genetic difference between Native Americans and immigrants, especially black Americans, plays a significant role in the vulnerability of Aids infection. Some of these studies have revealed that Native Americans and other people of European origin have a tiny genetic mutation that renders their immune systems resistant to HIV infection.
This then implies that people of the African origin and the Haitians are more susceptible to Aids infection since they do not have the genetic mutation.
Other studies have offered the premise that the infection of Aids is not highly prevalent in females. Rather, these studies indicate that males are at higher risk of spreading the infection, especially the homosexuals. However, some exceptions are clear especially for women of African origin. Owing to their sexual practices and other internal factors, these women are highly susceptible to the Aids infection. This indicates that there is a connection between Aids infection and cultural or racial background (Treichler, 270).
In addition to genetic difference and other internal factors, poverty also plays a significant role in offering significance to Aids epidemic in relation to racial differences. For instance, among African Americans and the Haitians, poverty depicts some unhealthy sexual patterns, which increase their susceptibility to Aids infection.
Poverty often causes young people to lack good upbringing and quality education hence rendering them susceptible to drug abuse and unhealthy sexual behaviors. This does not however mean that young people who are not of African origin do not engage in unhealthy sexual behaviors. The difference is that since Aids is more prevalent amongst the African Americans, the possibility of its spread is therefore very high.
It is evident that Aids is an epidemic of meanings or significance rather than just being an epidemic of a lethal infectious disease. This issue of meanings of significance is very important in identifying and managing the epidemic. The epidemic has significance in relation to racial and cultural differences. For instance, several studies have associated Aids with people of African and Haitian origin. This means that the epidemic is highly prevalent in these groups due to various factors including genetic variance, sexual behaviors as well as poverty.
According to Carlisle (2003), there is an alarming trend of increasing HIV infections among adolescent groups and youths. It is also very unfortunate that these adolescents and youths form the future population of all countries in the world. Unfortunately, the future generation of such countries faces extinction from HIV deaths. Various studies reveal that the increasing cases of HIV infections in adolescents are mainly due to maltreatment that people inflict of the youths and adolescents. Some of the exploitations that adolescents and youths face include sex trafficking, sexual abuse, sex workers, prostitution, sex trade, and transactional sex (Carlisle, 2003). As a result, this paper explores the appropriate techniques of HIV treatment and prevention among adolescents who are at risk of succumbing from increasing HIV infections.
Research question
Is there any effective means of HIV treatment and prevention among adolescents and young adults who are at risk of succumbing from the increasing HIV infections?
Problem statement
The essentiality of this paper is to explore the means of HIV treatment and prevention among youths and adolescents who are at risk of succumbing from the increasing HIV infections.
Impacts of HIV on public health
Currently, HIV is a global pandemic. HIV pandemic has a variety of adverse effects in the countries where HIV is prevalent. Unfortunately, the developing countries feel the most pinching effects of HIV pandemic since these countries lack enough resources to aid in fighting and controlling new HIV infections. Although many countries intensified their fight towards controlling the spread of HIV, there is still an increasing trend in the spread of HIV in these countries (Patel, Yoskowitz, Kaufman, and Shortliffe, 2008). Numerous studies in this field still show that HIV pandemic is still prevalent in many countries in the world. As a result, new infections of HIV still occur in these countries. There is also an increasing number of deaths resulting from HIV from countries in the world (Askew and Berer, 2003).
Importance of the research
Unfortunately, researchers started to note the increasing trend of HIV infection among adolescent groups in most countries (Patel, Yoskowitz, Kaufman, and Shortliffe, 2008). Adolescents and youths always form the future population of all countries in the world. If the current society does not take necessary initiatives to control and stop new HIV contractions among young adults and adolescents, it will be very unfortunate that the future generation of the society will succumb from HIV/AIDS.
The research will aid in coming up with an informed decision-making process concerning the spread and control of new HIV infections more so in young adults. The research will also find out the impacts of the current HIV spread control mechanisms. At the end of the research, many people will understand that the HIV pandemic is real. Finally, the research aims at finding and exploring new relevant and effective mechanisms that will aid in coming up with new appropriate means of HIV treatment and prevention among adolescents and young adults who are at risk of succumbing from the increasing HIV infections.
Conclusion
Most youths are at a vulnerable state of contracting HIV infections. The increasing rate of HIV infections in most countries causes large deaths of youth (Askew and Berer, 2003). It deprives most countries of their strong and energetic generation that will take over after the current adult generation. The research aims at finding and exploring new relevant and effective mechanisms that will aid in coming up with new appropriate means of HIV treatment and prevention among adolescents and young adults who are at risk of succumbing from the increasing HIV contractions.
References
Askew, I. and Berer, M. (2003). Contribution of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services to the Fight against HIV/AIDS. Reproductive Health Matters, 11(22), 51-73.
Carlisle, D. (2003). Africans Are Dying of AIDS without Pain Relief. British Medical Journal, 327(7423), 1069-1070.
Patel, V., Yoskowitz, N., Kaufman, D., and Shortliffe, E. (2008). Discerning patterns of human immunodeficiency virus risk in healthy young adults. Am J Med, 121(4), 759764.
Based on a study by Whiteside (2008), the acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) came into the public limelight on the 5th of June 1981 in a report by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, USA. AIDS is apparently caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that crossed from primates into human beings. The use of the acronym AIDS was agreed on in July 1982 and later CDC gave a working definition for the disease based on clinical signs (Whiteside, 2008).
Drawing from a study by AVERT (2016), AIDS outbreak was a result of an event that took place in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1920 causing HIV to cross from chimpanzees to human beings. However, it was not possible to determine the number of cases between 1920 and 1981 when AIDS was brought into the glare of the public (AVERT, 2016).
Currently, AIDS is regarded as the worlds biggest public health challenge (WHO, 2016). Although it has had a devastating impact on people in every part of the world, it is more prevalent in developing nations.
Facts about AIDS
Facts about AIDS
The World Health Organization outlines a number of facts about AIDS (WHO, 2016). One of the facts about AIDS is that it occurs as a result of the weakening of the bodys immune system by the HIV virus. AIDS thus refers to an advanced stage of HIV infection. Another fact is concerns transmission. According to WHO, HIV can be transmitted in various ways including unprotected sex, blood transfusion, sharing contaminated clinical items, and mother to child transmission at some stages of pregnancy. Based on findings by the World Health Organization, there are approximately 36.7 million people suffering from AIDS globally (WHO, 2016). Apparently, this number includes about 1.8 million children.
Signs and Symptoms
According to USDHHS (2015), affected individuals may experience flu related illnesses within 2 4 weeks after being infected with HIV in the early stages. However, others may still appear healthy during this period. These symptoms include but are not limited to fever, night sweats, muscle aches, fatigue, and a sore throat. In the absence of an effective intervention strategy, a victims condition worsens and proceeds to AIDS (USDHHS, 2015). At this stage, an individual will show symptoms such as rapid weight loss, sweating profusely at night, extreme tiredness, pneumonia, and sores in the mouth or genitals.
What AIDS does to your Body
As explained earlier, AIDS generally weakens a victims immune system and disrupts their normal functioning. Eventually, a fertile ground is created for opportunist diseases to thrive. These are diseases that take advantage of the fact that the bodys immune system is no longer strong.
Prevention of AIDS
Precautionary Measures for Protection
To be safe from HIV and AIDS, it is imperative for an individual to go for early testing (WHO, 2016). This helps to ensure that treatment is administered timely. Another strategy for dealing with AIDS involves the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The use of ART stops HIV from multiplying and enables patients to live longer (Holmberg, 2008). AIDS can also be prevented by practicing safe sex, using disposable needles when injecting drugs, and making sure that blood is tested for HIV before transfusion.
Tests and Treatments
As mentioned earlier, it is important to have patients tested early so that the treatment can commence on time. Treatment is mainly conducted through the use of antiretroviral therapy.
Conclusion
AIDS is certainly a menace to the society that requires a joint intervention strategy. However, with an effective strategy, it is possible to lessen its impact on the society. The use of ART, for example, ensures that the affected individuals live longer.
Holmberg, S. (2008). Scientific errors and controversies in the U.S. HIV/AIDS epidemic: How they slowed advances and were resolved. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS). (2015). Symptoms of HIV. Web.
Whiteside, A. (2008). HIV/AIDS: A very short introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This disease remains one of the leading causes of death in every country. HIV/AIDS compels governments to offer adequate support to their citizens in an attempt to meet their health needs. Consequently, nations have to grapple with various developmental, social, and economic growth challenges associated with this disease. This paper gives a detailed analysis of HIV/AIDS in India and the major strategies implemented to deal with it.
Overview of HIV/AIDS
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are over 36 million individuals affected by HIV/AIDS across the globe (Goswami et al., 2014). In terms of incidence, around 1.8 million new HIV infections are recorded annually. The condition also affects over 2.1 million children globally (Lepine et al., 2016). Additionally, millions of citizens in every corner of the world died due to this disease. According to the chapter HIV/AIDS and Antiretroviral Therapy, these staggering statistics show that HIV/AIDS is a major challenge that should be addressed by societies using evidence-based approaches (as cited in Oliver, 2004). Different countries such as India have managed to implement powerful initiatives to tackle the challenges associated with this epidemic.
Case Study: India
Indias National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has been on the frontline to execute appropriate measures to deal with HIV infection. The prevalence rate of the condition stood at 0.27 in 2014 (Lepine et al., 2016). The rate had dropped from 0.41 within the past decade. Currently, the number of patients suffering from HIV/AIDS in the country is around 2.5 million (Lepine et al., 2016). Operating within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NACO collects timely data using powerful surveillance systems. The agency publishes annual reports on the disease. Some of the evidence-based strategies implemented to deal with HIV/AIDS include continuous monitoring, empowerment of at-risk populations and groups, and promotion of powerful interventions.
In 2010, the Indian government identified AIDS as a development health concern that required combined strategies. Consequently, NACO implemented a powerful initiative aimed at reducing the number of new infections. Presently, the agency collaborates with different departments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to implement powerful programs for preventing the condition. Such partnerships have resulted in inappropriate models for supporting and treating HIV/AIDS patients.
In 2009, the government came up with a new policy known as National HIV and AIDS Policy and the World of Work (NHAPWK) to deal with any form of discrimination against HIV patients in the workplace. Different enterprises in the informal and formal sectors have been guided to implement powerful policies that can support the needs of patients with HIV/AIDS. NACO has gone further to support powerful initiatives to reduce the level of HIV transmission through sexual intercourse. This decision has been informed by the fact that over 80 percent of all new infections are as a result of sexual intercourse in India (Lepine et al., 2016). The first initiative has been to encourage people to embrace the use of condoms. Behavioral interventions are also used to discourage people from engaging in commercial sex. Indians are also empowered to have only one sexual partner.
The use of antiretroviral therapy has led to positive gains in the fight against the condition (Tanwar, Bewari, Rao, & Seguy, 2016). This effective method continued to support the needs of more HIV/AIDS patients. The strategy has empowered different patients to deal with various opportunistic diseases ( Financing issues, 2005). Consequently, the life expectancy of HIV/AIDS patients in the country has increased significantly. However, there is a need to implement powerful models to meet the needs of persons in resource-poor populations or settings.
Anthropologists and HIV Stigma
HIV/AIDS face stigma in their respective societies, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Any form of stigma makes it impossible for affected individuals to share their pain, seek adequate medical support, and empower one another. Stigmatized persons also find it hard to achieve their potential in life (Manian, 2018). Fortunately, anthropologists have been keen to present evidence-based concepts that can guide societies to resolve the predicament of HIV stigma in India (as cited in Oliver, 2004). To begin with, many people used to believe that individuals infected with HIV were promiscuous. However, anthropologists have managed to offer meaningful insights that encourage members of the public to acknowledge that moral persons can be affected by the disease. This effort explains why many patients are no longer blamed for the rate at which the epidemic continues to affect humankind (Panovska-Griffiths et al., 2014). This achievement has resulted in a situation whereby more people are aware of the implications of stigmatization.
For many years, some groups were discriminated against for their connection with the disease. Modern anthropologists have demystified the situation by explaining how specific groups or ethnicities are usually at risk of HIV due to the nature of their cultural behaviors or practices (Horton & Das, 2010). Issues to do with risky behaviors have also been linked to the spread of the condition by anthropologists. This achievement has empowered more people to appreciate the issues surrounding the condition, thereby reducing the level of stigmatization.
Anthropologists have also presented meaningful ideas to ensure that appropriate behavioral changes are embraced by local cultures (Cohen, 2004b). The idea has empowered more people to embrace the use of condoms. Some people belong to cultures that promote specific behaviors that predispose them to HIV (Bertozzi, Padian, & Martz, 2010). Using such insights, anthropologists have made it possible for more people to protect themselves from the virus.
Additionally, anthropologists have explained how (and why) both women and men are at risk of the condition. Different methods of infection have also been explained by these scholars (Vassall et al., 2014). Consequently, they encourage people to engage in the best practices, support those who are affected by HIV, and implement powerful initiatives to protect others from the disease ( Financing issues, 2005). The role of anthologists has been expanded to cover how different persons can be infected by the virus. This knowledge has encouraged more people to support infected persons, interact with them, and promote the power of diversity. These achievements have, therefore, contributed a lot to the fight against HIV/AIDS in India.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
The above discussion reveals that the problem of HIV/AIDS is being addressed using diverse strategies in India. On top of that, the role of anthropologists, NGOs, and the government has resulted in powerful models that support the health needs of many patients (Goswami et al., 2014). The current approach has supported the expectations of many citizens and reduced the number of new infections recorded every year. Additionally, anthropologists have conducted numerous researches and presented powerful insights that encourage different people to support HIV patients.
This approach has several strengths that explain why it continues to deliver meaningful results. To begin with, the approach is supported by different stakeholders and actors, thereby making it sustainable. This movie explains why the country has been on the right track in the fight against AIDS. The second strength is that the model is implemented in every region across the country. Individuals in rural and urban regions have benefited significantly from the strategy. This is the reason why the number of new infections has been reducing significantly in the country.
The approach has also resulted in reduced stigma. Infected persons are supported and empowered by their relatives, friends, and colleagues. Persons with the condition receive adequate support, drugs, ideas, and education to protect themselves from a wide range of opportunistic conditions such as tuberculosis (Moyer, 2015). On the other hand, the approach has several weaknesses that should be addressed in the future. For instance, anthropologists have not been sharing their findings with different beneficiaries and stakeholders. This gap explains why the problem of stigma still exists in the country (Celentano & Beyrer, 2008). Some anthropologists have also been observed to treat their professional fields differently. This gap explains why more people have not been informed about the achievements of these researchers. The level of anthropological advocacy is also quite low. These gaps explain why the problem of stigma is yet to be addressed fully in India.
New Researches to Deal with the Above Problem
Anthropologists conduct numerous studies to understand human behaviors, cultural attributes, practices, and suggest better strategies to deal with the problems affecting them. The predicament of HIV/AIDS poses numerous challenges that continue to affect the welfare of more HIV patients and at-risk populations. Some of these problems include a lack of welfare support and stigmatization (Cohen, 2004a). Although past efforts and initiatives have empowered many Indians to understand and resolve HIV stigma, new efforts are needed to come up with better efforts to achieve sustainable results.
An anthropologist can design a new study to come up with an evidence-based approach to this problem. This research should focus on a powerful strategy through which members of the public can be guided to appreciate the importance of social change. The proposed change should, therefore, be based on anthropological concepts. This means that the study will be aimed at identifying new social practices, interactions, and support systems that can empower different individuals in every society to collaborate and deal with this epidemic (Moyer & Hardon, 2014). The study should also be expanded to tackle obstacles such as violence and racial or economic discrimination. The proposed anthropological study can also present meaningful insights to encourage more people to embrace better behaviors and norms that can minimize the rate of new HIV infections (Kumar, Suar, & Singh, 2017). The findings from the research can also be shared with health professionals to minimize every challenge associated with HIV. Consequently, the country will record positive gains and reduce the impacts of this disease.
Conclusion
Indias efforts and campaigns to deal with HIV/AIDS have been successful. NACO has been partnering with different stakeholders to support HIV patients, reduce infections, and implement powerful preventative measures. Anthropologists should use their competencies to develop powerful models that can encourage people to appreciate the facts of HIV and tackle the problem of stigmatization. Collaborative efforts between anthropologists and medical professionals can deliver meaningful concepts to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
References
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