Hiv and Aids - High Risk Groups of Hispanics - Essay Example

HIV/AIDS RISK ASSESMENT- HISPANICS Introduction The individual behavior and social context of the Hispanics play an important role in HIV infection. Apart from their personal lifestyle, the social and cultural aspects of the Hispanics also play a contributory role for the prevalence of HIV. Hispanics are triple burdened by race, gender and class. Speaking about gender, the Hispanic women are relatively more vulnerable because of sexism and gender inequality in personal and sexual relationships. (Gilbert, 2003). So, Hispanics come under the “High Risk Groups” among the racial/ethnic groups. Lifestyle choices of the Hispanics are mainly dependent on their access to societal resources such as food, shelter, education, housing, and appropriate physical and mental health care. The structural impediments of the Hispanics force the people in to high-risk situations. The researchers have found that the early prevention strategies have failed to reach the people because of two reasons. The first thing is that the prevention strategies were not targeted towards the ethnic minorities and it is mainly and primarily targeted towards the majority, White population. The second reason is that, AIDS is much more related to or embedded with societal ills such as poverty, chemical dependency, lack of accessible and affordable health care, isolation, mistrust of medical institutions, internalized oppression and racism. (Gilbert, 2003). High risk behaviors Risk factors of HIV /AIDS may not be a direct cause of the disease, but plays a key and at the same time dubious role for the infection, and so it is seem to be associated in some way. Exposure to risk factors of HIV /AIDS increases the risk of having the infections, but never leads to AIDS. A number of setting related, interpersonal, intrapersonal factors influence the individual in high-risk behavior. The main reasons for the high risk behavior are. HIV is most commonly transmitted by the sexual contact with an infected person. The virus enters the body through the fluids that comes into contact with the other person in the sexual contact. The virus enters the body through the vaginal line, penis, rectum or mouth. The sexual intercourse, anal sex (Homo or hetero sexual), oral sex (Homo or heterosexual) are the main ways of transmission of the retro virus. The risk factors associated with sex which increase the risks of infection are Usage of recreational drugs, which causes semi consciousness before or at the time of having sex Over usage of Alcohol before sex Frequent visit to the place of prostitutes Failure to use condoms while indulging risky sexual activity. (Kelly, 1995). The illegal drug users use the same needle and syringe that was previously used by another person. As a result the tiny amount of blood, if infected with HIV, is also transmitted to the other person. So, the risk factor that increases the chance of AIDS is injecting drugs at social network galleries where needle sharing is very common. The other high risk behavior is the unsafe actions of the medical professionals at health care settings. That is, if the doctors or nurses use HIV contaminated needles and syringes instead of using new ones for each patient or importantly did not clean it aptly, it increases the risk of contracting AIDS on unsuspecting victims. The transfusion of HIV infected blood from one person to another also causes AIDS. The risk factor which heightens the chance of infection is the following of unhygienic and unsafe practices in the hospital or health settings. If the blood is not properly and safely screened for HIV and transfused into other patients, it increases the risk of AIDS manifold. So it advised to screen the blood for HIV infection and also destroy the HIV by pre-heat treatment techniques. The HIV infected women have a greater risk of transmitting the retro virus to her fetus. The reports have said that one-third of the infected pregnant women transmit the virus to their offspring. (Kelly, 1995). Although, current treatments are preventing mother to fetus transmission, it is not fully successful. So, HIV infection during pregnancy is also a prominent high risk behavior. Risk Reduction patterns HIV prevention and importantly risk reduction strategies are an essential component of the comprehensive treatment for reducing HIV risks. They are: Cognitive and behavioral skills assessment The HIV risk reduction behavior implementation requires cognitive and behavioral skills in the areas of condom usage, needle cleaning, safer sex negotiation and sexual assertiveness skills. Hence the patients are first tested for their skills through observation and given the necessary changes. (Kelly, 1995). Condom Usage The people are advised to use condoms for a safer sex, particularly when indulging in sex outside or before the marriage. They are educated with the idea that the use of condoms will not disturb their sex, will increase the pleasure of intercourse etc. The people must also be educated to use them correctly because the improper usage will increase the risk. This can be done by demonstrating with a packed condom and a phallus replica. This type of direct condom use assessment provides a behavior sample. (Kelly, 1995). Needle Skill assessment In a similar manner, importance should be given to needle cleaning as well. In this assessment, the clients can be given a set of properties (syringe, needles, sets of container, solution of bleach and water). They are then asked to demonstrate the cleaning of the injecting equipment. The observation area of the major cleaning steps include use of the full strength bleach, dipping the intact syringe in the bleaching solution, the complete filling of the syringe with the solution for a minute and then tapping the syringe before unloading it. In this assessment, the incorrect steps of the performance are noted, and then attention is given to those areas, so that correct practices are followed. (Kelly, 1995). Transmission through Blood The transfusion of blood from one person to other should be checked for the HIV risk. The blood of an AIDS patient may be transfused unintentionally without proper checking, hence the HIV test should be done for the donor before the transfusion is carried out. The assessment is done at the blood bank using proper testing procedures with the aid of advanced and hygienic lab and its equipments. Reducing maternal transmission Many AIDS related child deaths occurred before the introduction of anti retro viral treatment for HIV infection. Hence, to reduce the risk of maternal to fetus transmission, the use of anti-retro viral drugs should be prescribed for the HIV positive pregnant woman. The treatment should be given at three stages: during pregnancy, at child birth and during breast feeding. Care should be taken that breastfeeding is not done used without antiretro viral treatment. (APA, 2001). Risk reduction strategies 1. Providing education to the Hispanics about the behaviors that keep them at high risk for HIV/AIDS. 2. Conducting active discussions with them to make necessary changes in their social as well as sexual behavior. 3. The suspected individuals among the Hispanic population can be put under voluntary HIV test through counseling. 4. The skills to discuss and negotiate safer sex with partners should be developed. (APA, 2001). 5. The patients with the history of sexual abuse should be advised by the clinicians to undergo HIV tests. Conclusion Although preventive measures are effectively implemented and also there is improvement of Hispanic socioeconomic conditions, the HIV and AIDS prevalence have not reduced to a great extent. According to WHO, the death of the people among Hispanic population due to AIDS in 2001 were 17000, whereas in 2007 it was 22000. But, when one looks from a long term perspective, the AIDS cases have reduced by 7% within 20 years (1996 - 2007). (apps.who.int). The use of anti-retro viral therapy has increased tremendously among the pregnant women to prevent HIV infection to their off-springs. With medical treatment not turning out to be a panacea for AIDS in all cases, awareness about the risks can reduce the AIDS infection among the people. References APA. (2001). Practice Guideline for the treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS. American Psychiatric Publishing Co. apps.who.int. (2008, December). Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS Retrieved June 29, 2009 from http://apps.who.int/globalatlas/predefinedReports/EFS2008/full/EFS2008_US.pdf Gilbert D.J. and Wright E.M. (2003). African American Women and HIV/AIDS. Greenwood Publishing Group. Kelly, J. (1995). Changing HIV risk Behavior. Guilford Press. Read More