African American Teenagers with HIV/AIDS - Essay Example

? Teenagers African Americans with HIV/AIDS al affiliation Teenagers African Americans with HIV/AIDS 0. The health issueand population of interest The HIV and AIDS pandemic has claimed the lives of many individuals all over the world. This essay will highlight the HIV/AIDS as a health issue among the African Americans. The term HIV is an acronym of Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus mainly attacks human beings, and they do not grow on their own, but must develop within the human body. Studies indicate that this virus cannot survive in air. AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV; in this stage HIV is fully developed causing several infections within the human body. HIV/AIDS renders the body prone to infections that result from the immune system being damaged. Efforts have been established by doctors for several years, though; they have not established any remedy to cure AIDS. The main modes of transmissions of HIV/AIDS are having unprotected sex with infected individuals, transfusion of contaminated blood, transfusion of contaminated semen, from an infected mother to her baby, breastfeeding, sharing unsterilized equipments. This essay shall highlight the issue of HIV/AIDS prevalence among the African Americans. 2.0. Concern about the health disparity  Due to the adverse effects of HIV/ AIDS, this topic has been the subject of discussion by several scientists for over twenty years. Most of these doctors are still trying to explain the origin of the diseases. HIV disparities still among the youths, blacks made up of 51% of all new HIV diagnoses, between 2003-2005 though, among the blacks youth age 13-24 years accounted for 61%. African American women are also severely affected compared to the whites, and African American men continue to bear the highest rate of HIV infection (National Institutes of Health, 2010). Besides this topic being of concern to the doctors, all the stakeholders of the community-parents, guardians, politicians- have been seen over the years to take part in the campaign against eradication of the disease in the society. In fact, the efforts to champion against HIV/AIDS in the society have been taken up by all people selflessly. This is an indication of how the issue has not only been distressing but devastating to the lives of many people. 3.0. Evidence for the disparity Statistics from the global summary of HIV epidemic indicate that there are about 33.3 million people living with HIV in the world today. In the United States of America, 1.1 million people have been recorded living with HIV. About 21% of these people are not a ware of their status. In America about 56,300 people are infected with the virus in a year and the African America are more affected that the rest of the citizens. Research conducted in this field indicates that about 18,000 people die of AIDS every year (CDC report, 2009). CDC conducted a survey on 36 states in the US and the study found that, about half of the 46% of the people living with HIV most of them were African Americans. It states that the first incidence of AIDs among the African American was found among the gay men and drug abusers. Over the years, the blacks’ rate of infections remains constant, though they still represent the highest number of people infected with HIV (CDC report, 2009). The rate of infection increased in 2006, where more African American people got infected with the HIV than the white people in US. The CDC report indicated that, 18,328 African Americans were diagnosed with AIDS, and this figure has remained constant. The disease has led to many deaths among the African America since the early 1990s (CDC report, 2009). Within the country, it was recorded that more than 23000 African American died of AIDS. Most of these people are women, heterosexuals, injection drug users, and children. The increase in the rate of death among these people is mainly because of lack of knowledge and awareness within the black communities. Some research indicated that young black men are at the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS because of heterosexuals’ activities among themselves. It is indicated in the CDC report that about 18% of the youth get infected with the virus through drug abuse where they inject themselves with drugs. Poverty acts as a major cause of HIV/AIDS disparity. Most of the black teenagers live under very poor conditions. Many of them drop out of schools making them have limited chances of getting employment. These makes them get involved in activities that lead HIV/AIDS. One would find most of the young girls get involved in prostitution and as a result, leads to the spread of HIV among the African American community (CDC report, 2008). Most of the African Americans teenagers do relay of public funds of health care services. Making access to health care services a significant issue in HIV epidemic among the African American citizens. Most of the blacks infected with the HIV do not have access to these health care services, so they are forced to seek treatment in the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program. Within the program, there are the issues of lack of enough treatment materials and drugs. This has made the program not to meet the demands of the sick patients most of them have received a list of waiting patients causing disparity (National Institutes of Health, 2010). From the records, the highest rate of death among the black women was experienced in the year 2004 HIV was the third leading killer disease among the black women aged 25 to 44 as compared to the rest of women in the US. In 2004, the rate of death among the black women was 100,000 women aged 13 to 30 years than the rate of death among the Latino and the white women; the figure below illustrates these findings (National Institutes of Health, 2010). Rate of HIV infection in USA Adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004) Further research indicated that the rate of infection has increased by the year 2006 especially among the African American teenagers. The graph below represents the statistical figures that indicate the difference. 2006 Statistics on the rate of HIV infection in the US Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006) 4.0. Occurrence of disparity Various factors contribute to the disparities in the society, in relation to HIV and AIDS. These factors range from financial issues, philosophical, access to proper health care to the quality of care provided to certain individuals. For instance, the black pregnant teenager women who are infected with the virus do not get drugs to assist in maintaining their health standards. This reduces the chance of avoiding mother to child transmission making the baby has a higher risk of getting infected. Statistics indicate that 3,833 women living with AIDS in 2008 were infected during pregnancy, labour or breastfeeding the baby causing disparity among the African Americans and the whites. Most of the African American black teenager men are living in prison. Prisons are channels that spread HIV/AIDS. The increase of blacks in prison leads to the increase in heterosexuals among the prisoners where they have unprotected sex. Most of the prisoners get infected while in jail and spread to the families when released from prison. Studies indicate that the African American community members lack a gene in their bodies that cannot resist the HIV unlike the whites, who have a gene that resists the infection of HIV, so they keep on having genetic mutations making them have a resistant to the virus (Chesson, 2010). This African American teenager, living with HIV experiences a lot of discrimination and stigmas. This makes them have difficulties in having discussions about behaviors that do result to the spread of HIV/AIDS among themselves. This discrimination makes these people fear medication and testing process. Thus, leads to speed of the disease and increase of deaths among them (National Institutes of Health, 2010). The act of homosexuality is stigmatized within the communities and is also discriminated by most of the black churches, which feel that the act of homosexuality is a sin, and should not be tolerated within the community. This makes the black teenagers men keep their sexuality a secret. Some of the gay men perceive themselves as inferior making them have sex with female partners in secret. This leads to spread of HIV among the women because they do not know what is happening to them causing HIV disparities between the African Americans and other community members (CDC report, 2003). Some researchers have indicated that stigma towards the Blacks teenagers has its roots in the misconceptions about HIV. A survey conducted in 2004 indicated that people believe that the infection can be caused by kissing, sharing drinks in one glass, among the African American community that the white community. There is a lot of discrimination of HIV infected individuals among the blacks than any other Caucasian American. Most of the African Americans are concerns about the spread of HIV/AIDS. Most of them say the US is losing ground on the control of AIDS epidemics. Most of them are also concerned about getting infected with the virus. Most of the parents are afraid of their children getting infected. Those who are concerned tend to decrease every day (Leiyu and Douglas, 2009). African black women teenagers are at high risk of contracting HIV than their fellow counterparts. In that, biologically women are prone to contracting AIDS than men by having unprotected sex with an infected person. Further, more a young woman is at risk because of the tender age. From the year 2000-2003, the rate of African American teenage women contracting AIDS has increased 19 times than that of the white women. Furthermore, the rate has increased by 69% than those of Caucasian American women. In the year, 2003 more black women teen got infected with the HIV (CDC report, 2003). The CDC program indicated that black youth comprised the biggest single group of youths affected by HIV. In 2001, the youths accounted for 56% HIV infection was reported among the youths of age 13 years. Most of the black teenagers’ women behaviors do affect the rate at which they get affected with the virus than the Caucasian American women. They do have multiple sexual partners, and have sex with them on several different occasions than the white ladies making them be at risk of contracting HIV. The black African teenage women are at risk of contacting the various because they do have sexual intercourse with older partners (Chesson, 2010). A research study conducted by CDC indicated that the black teenagers’ women accounted of 36% percent of new HIV infections among the blacks community compared to 14 percent of the Caucasian American women. The rate of black women has been indicated to be at two- thirds of new AIDS cases among the US citizens. In 2003 black women with AIDS accounted for 15% compared to the Caucasian American who accounted for 12%. The African Americans teens of age 13 years and 19 years accounted for 65% of new AIDS infections that was reported in the year 2004. Studies have indicated that most African American teenage women get infections through heterosexual behaviors with their partners, and injection drug abuse, engaging in sexual practices with older men (Chesson, 2010). Studies have indicated that, the African Americans teenagers have reported being HIV positive, but they seem to have no access to medical treatment. Most of these African American teenager women young men have been reported to have poor access to HIV treatment. One of the causes of this desperate is the rate of offering these medical services to these youths. It was found that, in the US the service providers offering these services are different from the two groups of people. For instance, the HAART takes care of the blacks’ health issues, while the whites have better qualified physicians (CDC report, 2011). Most of the African American youths tend to go for testing at a very late stage when the virus has already damaged the immune system making treatment very difficult. The CDC indicates that, between the year 2000 and 2003, most of the 56% of the youths were diagnosed with full blown AIDS. Most of the blacks’ youths have tended to delay testing because of physiological and social factors. Some of the reasons that make they fail to go for testing is presented as follows (CDC report, 2003). Black American youths are in self denial. Like the heterosexuals who have secretes sexual intercourse with female partners. Most of the blacks say that the virus is spread by behaviors and not identify. The conspiracy fears that the spread of HIV/AIDS was developed by the scientist. The issue of creating awareness among blacks bout HIV seems very interesting. Several surveys indicate that, blacks have been made aware of the epidermis; this awareness has been decreasing over the past years. Most of the blacks said that they had never read or heard anything about HIV prevalence in their community (CDC report, 2004). Most of the African American teenagers in the US believe that the virus is manmade, and do not blame the spread on sexual behaviors. They do blame the government for the spread of these diseases. Oregon University conducted a survey between 2002 and 2003 and believed that the virus was manmade. 53% believed that the disease had a cure and that it was being withheld from the poor communities. They state that 27% of the virus was created in the laboratory, and 12% believed that the virus were spread, but CIA and 15% notes that the virus were formed from genocide against the black community (CDC report, 2004).Such conception can be viewed as true depending how most of the blacks have suffered within the community. So those who come up with the theory are those that had undergone through discrimination within the community. The theories pose a risk on the development of strategies that can be used to prevent and control the rate of AIDS pandemic with the blacks’ community (National Institutes of Health, 2010). 5.0. Current state or national policy -local policy in Ex Seattle about HIV AIDS In Ex-Seattle, various policies have been enacted on HIV and AIDS pandemic. African Americans in this locality have been indicated to be at a great risk of succumbing to HIV/AIDS. In order, to handle the increasing levels of HIV/AIDS pandemic, the government instituted a policy regarding drug abuse and correction approaches of the victims of drug abuse. The government instituted adoption of probation of drug victims, incarceration as well as parole. Studies indicate that drug abuse is one of the major causes that leads to HIV and AIDS in the society. This is for the reason that, upon overdose, most of the affected individuals are not in a position to discern the right and wrong activities to undertake in the society. The African Americans are among the many people who are affected by the pandemic. The introduction of this drug policy in Ex-Seattle has had tremendous benefits on the lives of many individuals in the society. This policy has minimized the risks that many people are predisposed to while under the influence of drugs. Focusing specifically on African Americans, this policy is among the many that has reduced the rate at which HIV/AIDS spreads among this populace. Majority of the African Americans are well conversant with the drug polices; majority embrace correction with delight. In short, this policy may be described as having focused on the race factor- African Americans- in discussion and alleviation of HIV/AIDS in the community through correction on drug abuse. 6.0. Local resources available to address this disparity In order to find an antidote to this menace, it is important that local resources are established to address the health disparity. Some of these programs include; testing programs, conducting research about AIDS, establish initiatives that aim at addressing issues of AIDS, the program runs some marketing and campaigns to the youths to educate them about HIV/ AIDS. During the year 2007, the program gave $35 dollars to facilitate HIV testing and improve the medication process during the early years. Lots of churches within the black community are also mobilizing the youths against HIV transmission in areas with a high level of HIV/AIDS (Leiyu and Douglas, 2009). A national call to Action and declaration of commitment was signed by a group of politicians, members of the black clergy men, civil rights icons and community leaders in the year 2006. This call was meant to put an end to the spread of HIV among the black community. Other eight African American organizations also met and the leaders pledged to work together to stop the spread of AIDS within the blacks community. They also discussed the issues of drug abuse and homosexuality among the youths in the black community. The CDC aimed at intensifying efforts to handle the issues of HIV/AIDS among the blacks. They focused on four different areas which are; to educate the blacks on prevention methods, increase opportunities to diagnose and treat HIV; come up with prevention mechanisms; and mobilizing the black community to work towards eradicating HIV from their community. By the end of 2009, the program indicated progress in control measure taken by most of the blacks. The organization has also managed to partner with other 14 African American organizations to integrate African American in eradicating AIDS. Last year the program established a testing program to widen access to HIV testing (National Institutes, of Health 2010). The blacks AIDS institutes try to prevent the disparities between of HIV among the African American and whites in the US. The institution has called upon community members clergy men, political leaders to come together and fight against the spread of AIDS among the African American youths. The groups aim at funding the treatment programs; lowering the cost of HIV medications; they provide support for needle programs; safeguarding the so called down- low men; providing comprehensive sex education to all the youths within the community (CDC report, 2004). The targeted interventions targeting the heterosexual should educate them on the use of condoms. This intervention advocates for making condoms available within the community. Women are also educated of control measures like the use of virginal microbicides. This will increase the women ability to control them against HIV infection. To reduce the spread of HIV, the government should try and look at the contextual factors that lead to the spread of AIDS. The government should also ensure that people know their status first before looking at the relevant preventive measures. The youths should be made aware that testing stage of HIV is very crucial in life. The stage provides an entry point to treatment and care for the infected individuals. If they infected they seek for better treatment and when uninfected they get information on how to take care of them preventing the infections. Today the CDC program fights to eradicate AIDS among the African American youths by; helping the community; it provides the community with financial support that assist in the provision of medication services. They offer training services to the community members on how to handle issues of HIV/AIDS (National Institutes of Health, 2010). The CDC evaluates new strategies that can be used in controlling and preventing the spread of HIV among the youths. Currently the program targets 14 million to evaluate new approaches to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS among the African American youths. Most of the research has aimed at working with the key youths and their social networks. The program tracks the development of the virus in order to control its spread. It does this by tracking the cause of HIV pandemic among racial groups to ensure distribution of control measures. Lastly, the program works in collaboration with other organization to provide medication for HIV, TB and other sexual transmitted diseases (Leiyu and Douglas, 2009). Though, HIV prevention has grown over time, there are other issues that have not been met by organizations and the African American youths. CDC can manly achieve its eradication objectives by working in collaboration with the youths leaders. To do this they have to put in consideration the following major factors; first of all they have to expand the reach of HIV prevention services by providing greater interventions for the blacks; they should provide supportive interventions both in the work place and mental health facilities and increase training the youths about the dangers of AIDS (Leiyu and Douglas, 2009). The organization can increase the opportunities for HIV diagnosis and treatment by ensuring that more health care providers receive training on how to handle individual infected with the virus. They can implement new methods which can motivate blacks to go for testing and to reduce the fear associated with testing. They should provide additional testing services to the blacks both at work places and within the community where they stay. CDC should aim at developing new effective intervention, collaborating in research to address the need of increasing interventions designed according to the needs of Africans Americans that are the risk of contracting HIV. CDC should involve the black researchers in conducting research among the blacks who will in turn translate the research back into practice within the community. It is important for organizations to mobilize community action against the spread of HIV and reduce stigma with the African American infected with HIV (Leiyu and Douglas, 2009). The CDC organization works with the community members to help adapt proven prevention strategies that recruit few individuals in social networks to educate the youths on sexual behaviors. The program also ensured that the infected individuals were made wear of their status. They aimed at increasing interventions that educated men ones they were released from prisons. 7.0. Conclusion-HIV/AIDS and social justice. According to the work by Leiyu and Douglas (2009), HIV/AIDS has a great impact on social justice in the community. It is in this light that the work covers various aspects that need to be assessed in the U.S. health care system. This work mostly focuses on Medicare, along with Medicaid in the health care system in order to fit in the ‘evolving’ U.S health care system that is currently shaped by globalization aspects, as well as corporatization. From this work, Leiyu and Douglas (2009), indicate the benefits of having a well planned health care system. In this context, planned health care system includes saving a sensible amount of money that would be dedicated to one’s health care plans, in order to alleviate chances of having no planned heath care systems, especially, during emergencies. Insurance covers are also recommended by Leiyu and Douglas (2009), as health care planning system. It is evident that there is a dire need for long term health care for individuals. From the discussion on HIV/AIDS pandemic, we cannot alienate the aspect of proper medical cover by individuals in the society. In fact, this can be termed as a current health care issue that needs instant adoption by all individuals in the society. Some research has indicated the need for development of HIV preventions strategies that target the socio economic needs of the African American youths living with HIV. Some researchers even advocated for the formation of video tapes that can be used to educate blacks’ of the effects of HIV/AIDS. Though, others have evaluated the tool and found that it failed to work among the youths. So the most important to be taken is to go for individual testing then from the testing one gets to know the status and measures to be taken to control the spread of this virus. Members of the community should be educated on the effects of stigmatization. This is achieved by working with medical and nursing professionals to provide leadership to the members of the community on how to control the rate of HIV among the African American citizens. Sexually transmitted diseases can be eradicated in African American communities, though it is important that the state legislators and public health departments work together in the eradication process. Education is an important factor in eradicating HIV from the society. Doctors and health professionals should be trained on how to handle the youths suffering from HIV/ AIDS so as to avoid the stigma among them. Secondly community members through schools, churches, local gatherings should work together in educating the youth on the dangers of these diseases. Above all, more resources should be allocated to programs that focus on eradicating HIV among the youths in the African American communities. References CDC, (2010). Establishing a well developed Framework to Reduce Inequities in HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and Tuberculosis in the United States. Vol: 33 pp.54-70. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2011). HIV surveillance report: Diagnoses of HIV infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas. Volume 21 pp. 35-50. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2003). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. Vol: 55 pp.78. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2004-2007). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. Vol: 78 pp. 67. Chesson, H. (2010). The estimated direct medical cost of STDs among American youth, 2000. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Vol (1):11-19. Fact Sheet: U.S.A. (2006). Federal Funding for HIV/AIDS, 2006 Budget. The Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved from: www.kff.org/hivaids/ Leiyu, S., and Douglas, A. (2009). Essentials of the United States health care system.New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Read More