HIV or AIDS and Social Status - Essay Example

? HIV/AIDS and Social Status: Does it Determine the Level of Treatment Received? HIV/AIDS and Social Status: Does it Determine the Level of Treatment Received? Introduction Making individuals aware of a deadly disease is critical to the continue vitality of society. A civilization that knows and understand the danger that exists around them is certainly better able to overcome any adversity that may be thrown at them from time to time. This is all about education. For a society to truly be educated in health related issues, they must have ready access to lifesaving and life altering information that can push them on a path towards increased health and productivity. Such information needs to be distributed equally among all demographic groups in an effort to prevent individuals from needlessly becoming infected with potentially deadly diseases. Such access to information, therefore, certainly invokes the true meaning of the difference between life and death. There is perhaps no better illustration of this playing out in modern society than that of the current HIV/AIDS epidemic. There are now areas of the world, and various social and ethnic groups, that have educated its populace about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and rates of infection are down. Sadly, however, there are still many social groups among us that have limited access to such information, and even less knowledge about available treatment options, so the problem remains a serious one (Gilbert, 2012). This study is designed with the proclamation made the World Health Organization in mind. The organization strives to emphasize the importance of getting valuable and lifesaving health information to every individual member of the global community. This is an effort to support various health goals and to cease the needless suffering occurring at the hands of HIV/AIDS (Strike, Elliott, & Nolan, 2009). This study is aimed at synthesizing current research in the field of Sociology to determine how certain marginalized social groups among us are being denied such access to quality and lifesaving measures with it comes to HIV/AIDS. Research Question The following question forms the basis for this study. How does an individual’s social class, ethnicity, or sexual orientation determine the quality of treatment they receive and how does society view their HIV+ status? Literature Review Principles of HIV/AIDS Awareness Among Social Groups Many in society mistakingly believe that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is behind us. This is a fallacy, however, as thousands of new cases are diagnosed annually and many marginalized groups, particularly sexual minorities and those in the developing world, are still be denied quality access to prevention and treatment measures because of the stigma associated with being HIV+. Some areas of Africa, for example, have over a 50% infection rate, and gay men continue to be diagnosed at alarmingly high rates (Flowers & Davis, 2013). Perhaps due to a lack of awareness, certain demographic groups in the Western world are still engaging in risky sexual behavior, and they are also less likely to be tested to determine this HIV status. The list of issues associated with this disease are quite exhaustive, making it perhaps the most serious medical epidemic facing modern society. There are certainly positive indicators that the rate of HIV/AIDS infection in many developed countries are beginning to fall, but there are still troubling trends noted in the lack of preventative and educational awareness programs targeted to certain social and ethnic groups. The state of Texas, for example, has uncovered troubling statistics that relate to certain pockets of society refusing to get tested, and other areas of the state where infection rates are abnormally high (Oppong, 2012). This points to a trend whereby society is picking and choosing who to support and who to chastise. We already know that many groups in society, such as adolescents and homosexuals, are far less likely to reveal their HIV status to the community for fear of rejection (McMullen, 2010). This is not a new phenomenon. Aggelton (2001) noted that, “In Central and Eastern Europe, the number of new infections is rising - partly as a consequence of the economic and social liberalization that accompanied the end of the Communist period, but also due to a lack of political commitment to HIV prevention” (p. 403). This seems to point to the reality that only elite members of society have consistently received quality access to information critical to keep them safe from the effects of HIV/AIDS, while other groups have been suffering from a simply lack of concern on the part of greater society. For quite some time, society has largely determined for itself the relative importance of promoting known diseases to the great population. History tells that when HIV/AIDS was first discovered, it was determined to be largely a gay man’s disease (Kurtz, Buttram, Surratt, & Stall, 2012). The thought that any member of society could contract the disease was not really spoken of during those initial years. As such, this one social group was targeted and stigmatized, resulting in a true lack of care and little in the way of research and development to solve the problem. Because of the prevailing mindset at the time, not much thought was given to the importance of better understanding HIV/AIDS. It was not until the epidemic began spreading in obvious ways that the medical community began actively informing society that everyone was potentially at risk. By this time, however, much damage was already done in the eyes of the global community, as it would take years to combat the stereotype that the disease only affected certain marginalized groups (Mykhalovskiy & Patten, 2009). In the end, research shows us that the initial reaction the HIV/AIDS epidemic was not indicative of the values and moral that society had long purported to hold. In regards to this health related issue, the global community simply failed to act in a meaningful way, causing numerous social and ethnic groups to suffer for decades, and that suffering continues to this day. In the end, continuing to this day, the problem of HIV/AIDS has elicited an action-oriented approach that is serving to better educate and inform all of society, but again, current research also reveals that there are certain groups who are simply still losing out. The morality rate during the years of HIV/AIDS was nearly 100%, yet not much was being done to educate marginalized groups about how to avoid infect. In fact, as a lack of research into the disease, infections were continuing that could have been entirely avoidable, such as via intravenous drug use and the reality the blood transfusions gained with HIV/AIDS was entering the supply route (Davis and Tucker-Brown, 2013). Today, a sociological analysis of the HIV/AIDS epidemic reveals that current global health campaigns have grown so quickly largely due to the early resistance of the medical community to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem, and because of a reluctant society who expressed an unwillingness to discuss the issue openly and frankly. The principles of health promotion were simply not being followed, and black males, African women, and homosexual men, among other marginalized groups, received a lack of attention that caused the epidemic to spread much more quickly among that particular social demographic (Ranjan & Kompal, 2012). Ethical Theory and Treatment of HIV/AIDS The problem with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as revealed in this study, is that certain social groups continue to lack access to quality treatment options, both medically and emotionally. In essence, society has forsaken certain ethical values in the handling of this disease, and it is not only developing countries where this can be noted. Kippax and Kinder (2002) pointed out that, Medical professionals in America sometimes admit to feeling under attack when they are asked to explain why their country - the riches in the world - has made so little headway against its domestic epidemic of HIV and AIDS”. While that sentiment was expressed over a decade, its truth still rings true. The situation has now reverberated around the globe as the ‘headway’ described here has now been made in the much of the West, yet has not made its way to the developing nations of the world, such as Botswana where women who contract the disease are largely cast off from society (Ranjan & Kompal, 2012). In addition, the stigma of this being a disease of the gay mean still means that it is far more likely for a heterosexual to feel comfortable receive treatment for the disease and to reveal their HIV status that it is for a homosexual individual (Flowers & Davis, 2013). This is even more true when the individual in question is an adolescent (Gillard & Roark, 2013). Societal ethics and values simply have not adapted enough to afford these groups the opportunity to openly seek the support and care that they need from society. As a global community, medical professionals under that they have the ethical obligation to treat all of their patients equally, irrespective of the particular disease they may have or how they contracted it. This ethical code of conduct, however, appeared to wane for a season during the onset of AIDS being discovered in the 1980s. The obligation that the medical community felt to combat other serious diseases simply did not transfer right away to the treatment of HIV and AIDS. Sociological and medical studies have long established that we are behind in AIDS research today because our unwillingness to treat the disease as a serious social problem in those early years. It can be further established that much of society made an ethical judgement that those coming down infected with HIV did so because their lifestyle was counter to societal norms and ideals. As such, these individual made behavioral decisions that were not proper, and now they were suffering the price. This can be seen in the treatment of the early gay men who contracted the disease in San Francisco, to the sheer number of African women who came down infected in the sub-Saharan continent. Society simply cast these individuals aside and assumed that they would be the only social groups affected. The type of meta ethic discussed in research to this point came about from a long rooted fear of being too close to infectious diseased, combined with an unwillingness to reach out to minority groups, the homosexual community primary among these (Jiang, 2011). The ethical principles exhibited in society seems to come from a lack of desire to reach out and support those with morals that ran counter to the dominant culture. In addition, there has historically ben an unwillingness to discuss sexual issues, particular when it comes to infectious disease and homosexuality, with adolescent groups in society. As a result, young people have been largely uneducated when it comes to HIV/AIDS largely as a result of society’s lack of desire to broach sensitive issues with them. Finally, research attributes a great deal of this problem to egoism, when consider society’s reaction to HIV and AIDS. Many researchers has discussed the rarity that many members of the dominant part of society believed that they were above being infected with HIV/AIDS, so it was simply an issue that did not concern them. This can mapped out politically throughout the world in terms of various countries and how they have dealt with the issue through the years (Crane, 2011). For a season, this feeling of egoism help communities back from information the citizenry on an grand skill about the dangers of the disease, not only because they felt they were not affected by the epidemic, but also because the did not want to draw attention to, or glamorize, social groups that held different values from their own. By placing too much emphasis on the contraction of the disease, and to focus on treatment efforts, would be condoning a lifestyle that they did not agree with. This leads to the conclusion that affects the research question for this study. Marginalized groups in society have been treated differently since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and continue to be adversely affected today due to changing ethics and a lack of set moral action carried out by dominant members of society (Lanier & Sutton, 2013). Societal and Individual Values Towards Those with HIV/AIDS When considering a solution to this problem, one can look to Hume’s believe that moral assessments made by society often involve emotions, as opposed to reason or logic. This can best proven by the reality that there has been a consistent lack of health promotion in terms of HIV/AIDS throughout much of the world. Individual emotions or ideals should not affect the way a deadly disease is approached, yet that is certainly what happened in the case of this one. The rational and logical course of action would have involved the process of immediately education the public about the danger of sexual practices that are risky, and the potential problems associated with intravenous drug use. In addition, from the outset, money and resources would have been devoted into research and development of the disses in an effort to truly understand the origins of HIV/AIDS and how to treat it. These actions would have reflected the values that society has claimed to hold dear, yet the reality is that real action did not occur for some time after the disease was first discovered. Recently, there has been a renewed emphasis on minimizing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the homosexual community, particularly with gay men (McMullen, 2010). This community is no longer stigmatized to as big a degree as it was three decades ago and, as such, society is more willing to accept them and their chosen lifestyle. As a result, there has been progress in developing health promotion campaigns directed at this particular social group, and they now better understand the dangers associated with their sexual preference when it comes to potentially contracting HIV/AIDS, and they are better able to prevent infection. This is promising in terms of solving this problem. Research is indicating that as society has embraced this community, their willingness to support AIDS prevention efforts has increased as well (Flowers and Davis, 2013). This can also be seen in the shifting value reflected in the way women are treated throughout Africa. As the global community has become more aware of their plight, they have become more understanding and compassionate of the various ways in which so many women contracted the disease. As such, much more resources and money have been devoted to this area of the world in both education women how to prevent contracting the disease, in addition to helping to get need treatment to those who need it most (Humble & Bride, 2009). A further solution to this problem would be for society to work harder to reflect the idea of utilitarianism in dealing with the HIV and AIDS crisis that we are facing. For true headway to be made in terms of eliminating the stigma associated with contracting the disease, individuals members of society must begin to believe that action must taken to better education and give knowledge to their community about HIV and AIDS because it is the proper and moral course of action to take. We must all begin to firmly believe that the cost of inaction would be far greater than what we are seeing today (Lucina, 2013). Today, Utilitarianism is being demonstrated in the fact that more women are receiving help and treatment than at any time since the spread of the disease. During the early days of HIV and AIDS, victims in Africa were often women victimized by rape or other forms of abuse, only to be cast out of society because of cultural tradition and a lack of understanding and compassion (Tomaselli, 2009). Future Research It can also be said that values related to the way the topic of HIV/AIDS is promoted can be seen in the increased propensity of the world community to response positively to diversity exhibited among young people today. For quite some time, young people have been largely afraid to seek out safe sex counseling, HIV testing, or treatment regimes because of the way society viewed them. Today, however, society is growing increasingly tolerant of alternative lifestyles, many of which are exhibited by young people (Gillard & Roark, 2013). This is the demographic group that most need to understand the importance of safe sexual practices, in addition to the dangers of sharing drug needles. Society also has to be willing to provide alternatives for young people, such as condom distribution and needle exchange programs. Such ideas, although slow in arriving, are now making a dramatic impact in communities throughout the world. Conclusion The simple, yet sad, answer to the question forming the basis for this study is that certain marginalized groups in society are often left out of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment campaigns, and they continue to suffer from certain society driven stigmas. The fact is that quite some time elapsed before society demonstrated a willingness to take this epidemic seriously among all social groups. This epidemic reached that point it is at today because much of society failed to abide by certain basic principles rational reason and logic in dealing with the early onset of AIDS, and the lack of real compassion shown to initial sufferers. Today, that course is gradually shifting as society is now choosing to have a more open attitude towards the disease, and much of the world is much more aware of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but there is still much more to be done. While it is true the much of the West today no longer views HIV/AIDS as a death sentence and that health promotion campaigns abound that promote education and treatment efforts, there is still much of the developing world that lives in fear of the disease due to ignorance and a lack of treatment. With all of our global innovation and advancement, it is sad to repot that orphans born with HIV/AIDS still abound, largely cast out from society, because many people still have little to no knowledge about the disease, and medical professions in the developing world are simply inadequately prepared to deal with the scope of the situation (Dafarty, 2012). References Aggleton, P. (2011). HIV/AIDS in Europe: The challenge for health promotion research. Health Education Research, 16(4), 403-409. Crane, J. (2011). Viral cartographies: Mapping the molecular politics of global HIV. BioSocieties, 6(2), 142-166. Daftary, A. (2012). HIV and tuberculosis: The construction and management of double stigma. Social Science and Medicine, 74(10), 1512. Davis, S. and Tucker-Brown, A. (2013). The effects of social determinants on black women’s HIV risk: HIV is bigger than biology. Journal of Black Studies, 44(3), 273-289. Flowers, P., and Davis, M. (2013). Understanding the biopsychosocial aspects of HIV disclosure among HIV-Positive gay men in Scotland. Journal of Health Psychology, 18(5), 711-724. Gilbert, L. (2012). Upstream/downstream: Locating the ‘social’ in health promotion and HIV/ AIDS in South Africa. South African Review of Sociology, 43(1), 62. Gillard, A., and Roark, M. (2013). Older adolescents self-determined motivations to disclose their HIV status. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(5), 672-683. Humble, M., and Bride, B. (2009). HIV/AIDS in communities of color: A Lasswellian analysis. Health and Social Work, 34(4), 267-272. Jiang, Z. (2011). Integrated response toward HIF: A health promotion case study from China. Health Promotion International, 26(2), 196. Kippax, S., and Kinder, P. (2002). Reflexive practice: The relationship between social research and health promotion in HIV prevention. Sex Education, 2(2), 91-104. Kurtz, S., Buttram, M., Surratt, H., and Stall, R. (2012). Resilience, syndemic factors, and serosorting behaviors among HIV-positive and HIV-negative substance using MSM. AIDS Education and Prevention, 24(3), 193-205. Lanier, Y., and Sutton, M. (2013). Reframing the context of preventative health care services and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections for young men: New opportunities to reduce racial/ethnic health disparities. American Journal of Public Health, 103(2), 262. McMullen, H. (2010). HIV treatment and prevention in international perspective. Sociology of Health & Illness, 32(7), 1124-1125. Mykhalovskiy, E., and Patten, S. (2009). Beyond buzzwords: Toward a community-based model of integration of HIV treatment and prevention. AIDS Care, 21(1), 25-30. Oppong, J. (2012). Mapping late testers for HIV in Texas. Health & Place, 18(3), 568. Ranjan, R., and Kompal, S. (2012). Interaction between HIV awareness, knowledge, safe sex practice, and HIV prevalence: Evidence from Botswana. Journal of Biosocial Science, 44(3), 321. Sarkar, D., and Mitra, A. (2011). Gender inequality and the spread of HIV/AIDS in India. International Journal of Social Economics, 38(5/6), 333-359. Tomaselli, K. (2009). Re-Mediatizing HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Cultural Studies, 9(4), 570-587. Tucker, J., Ren, S., and Sapio, F. (2010). Incarcerated sex workers and HIV prevention in China: Social suffering and social justice countermeasures. Social Science and Medicine, 70(1), 121-129. Wakins-Hayes, C. (2012). The micro dynamics of support seeking: The social and economic utility of institutional ties for HIV-Positive women. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 647(1), 83-101. Annotated Bibliography Table – Sociology 498 Senior Seminar Student Name: Research Question: How does an individual’s social class, ethnicity, or sexual orientation determine the quality of treatment they receive and how does society view their HIV+ status? Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source Title HIV Treatment and Prevention in International Perspective The Effects of Social Determinants on Black Women’s HIV Risk: HIV is Bigger than Biology Mapping Late Testers for HIV in Texas. APA-formatted citation for source McMullen, H. (2010). HIV treatment and prevention in international perspective. Sociology of Health & Illness, 32(7), 1124-1125. Davis, S., and Tucker-Brown, A. (2013). The effects of social determinants on black women’s HIV risk: HIV is bigger than biology. Journal of Black Studies, 44(3), 273-289. Oppong, J. (2012). Mapping late testers for HIV in Texas. Health & Place, 18(3), 568. Relevance of source to Research Q Look at the differences available for treatment in different areas of the world. Black women continue to become infected with HIV at higher rates than other races, which relates directly back to the sociological question being asked here. It is important to understand why some social groups do not get tested for HIV infection until is almost too late for treatment. 2-3 sentence description of source This study takes a global snapshot at how treatment and prevention options differ around the world. Education, social class, and ethnicity are all covered in the scope of the study. As black women continue to struggle with the stigma of being HIV+, this study looks at the various social factors contributing to the high prevalence of the disease among this ethnic group. Among other things, the author’s look at education level, income, and propensity to be victims of sexual abuse. This study maps the states of Texas to determine areas where HIV infection is diagnosed late. The author’s then work to determine which social classes appear to be adversely affected by the disease and why they are not treated earlier. Main Research Question What are the various method of HIV/AIDS treatment in place today internationally? What are the stereotypes existent in society when Black women are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS? Where are the major concentrations of HIV/AIDS within the state of Texas? Hypotheses Treatments methods vary by regions of the world and by social group, so certain groups are receiving inferior treatment when being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Black women receive inadequate treatment and prevention mechanism when it comes to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is concentrated in areas of the state that are dominated by social minority groups. Methodology (quantitative vs qualitative, etc) Qualitative Qualitative Quantitative Analysis of 2+ sources (compare/contrast) When comparing this article with the one looking at the buzzwords associated with HIV/AIDS, stark similarities can be seen. Society has developed certain ‘buzzwords’ that describe certain groups that become infected with HIV/AIDS at higher rates. Looking at these studies in conjunction with one another allows researchers to determine that current state of mind in society, particularly from an international perspective. This study and the one that look at communities of color both demonstrate the importance of helping certain social groups come to grips with their HIV status, and to help society accept them better into their fold. Both of these studies look at groups that tend to be infected at higher rates than others, and both have less access to AIDS education and treatment options. This article parallels nicely with the study on HIV/AIDS global political mapping. By determining areas where there is a higher prevalence of infection, sociologists can more effectively determine contributing factors to what is taking place. Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Source Title Understanding the Biopsychosocial Aspects of HIV disclosure among HIV-Positive Gay Men in Scotland. Interaction Between HIV Awareness, Knowledge, Safe Sex Practic, and HIV Prevalence: Evidence from Botswana. The Micro Dynamics of Support Seeking: The Social and Economic Utility of Institutional Ties for HIV-Positive Women. APA-formatted citation for source Flowers, P., and Davis, M. (2013). Understanding the biopsychosocial aspects of HIV disclosure among HIV-Positive gay men in Scotland. Journal of Health Psychology, 18(5), 711-724. Ranjan, R., and Kompal, S. (2012). Interaction between HIV awareness, knowledge, safe sex practice, and HIV prevalence: Evidence from Botswana. Journal of Biosocial Science, 44(3), 321. Wakins-Hayes, C. (2013). The micro dynamics of support seeking: The social and economic utility of institutional ties for HIV-Positive women. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 647(1), 83-101. Relevance of source to Research Q Gay men are another stigmatized group in society when it comes to HIV/AIDS treatment. Africa is still struggling greatly from the stigma of AIDS and, as such, has great relevance for this particular research question. Looking at the social and economic factors surrounding women and their rates of HIV infection directly relate back to the research question. 2-3 sentence description of source This study explores homosexual men in Scotland and their propensity to disclose their status openly. Various factors are taken into account, including the way they are treated once diagnosis is made. The authors of this study look at the country of Botswana to determine what is different about the level of sex education and AIDS treatment provided there as compared to Western society. Implications are raised about how social class directly impacts the type and urgency of treatment provided. This is a unique study looking at various social and economic factors impacting HIV+ women and how various social institutions view them. A specific focus is on how women go about looking for support once they are diagnosed with the disease. Main Research Question Are gay men in Scotland less likely to seek early treatment options for HIV/AIDS? What is the relationship between being a woman in Botswana and the level of AIDS education that is received? How do various social institutions dictate the level of HIV/AIDS treatment that women receive? Hypotheses Gay men in Scotland are less likely than other social groups to receive early treatment and that preventative measures Women in Botswana receive inferior HIV/AIDS treatment and are less education in the effects of the disease when compared to women in other regions globally. There is a relationship between economic and social variables and how certain groups in society are treated upon being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Methodology (quantitative vs qualitative, etc) Qualitative Qualitative Quantitative Analysis of 2+ sources (compare/contrast) This article can be compared with the one looking at Women in India. Both groups are similar to other marginalized groups, which lead to the focus on gay men in Scotland. When you take a marginalized group, add in HIV infection, society tends to shun the group altogether. These studies provide an effective look at some various factors involved. This study and the one that look at communities of color both demonstrate the importance of helping certain social groups come to grips with their HIV status, and to help society accept them better into their fold. Both of these studies look at groups that tend to be infected at higher rates than others, and both have less access to AIDS education and treatment options. It is important to consider this study with the studies focusing on the mapping of HIV/AIDS infection globally. There are certain systemic factors that exist that sociologist are certainly interested in studying to better determine how to get more education and treatment options to marginalized groups in society. Source 7 Source 8 Source 9 Source Title Incarcerated Sex Workers and HIV Prevention in China: Social Suffering and Social Justice Countermeasures. Resilience, Syndemic Factors, and Serosorting Behaviors Among HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Substance Using MSM. (Re)Mediatizing HIV/AIDS in South Africa. APA-formatted citation for source Tucker, J., Ren, X., and Sapio, F. (2010). Incarcerated sex workers and HIV prevention in China: Social suffering and social justice countermeasures. Social Science and Medicine, 70(1), 121-129. Kurtz, S., Buttram, M., Surratt, H., and Stall, R. (2012). Resilience, syndemic factors, and serosorting behaviors among HIV-postiive and HIV-negative substance using MSM. AIDS Education and Prevention, 24(3), 193-205. Tomaselli, K. (2009). (Re)Mediatizing HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Cultural Studies, 9(4), 570-587. Relevance of source to Research Q Sex workers have long been a marginalized group in society, and in China especially so. This study looks at the reality of HIV infection of men who have sex with other men, relating back to the one part of the research question. South Africa has long had a problem with AIDS and certain social groups have been especially hard hit. 2-3 sentence description of source China has long been reluctant to admit problems with HIV infection, so marginalized groups have long been stigmatized. This study looks at sex workers in prison and how they are suffering to get treatment and emotional support for their illness. There are various factors impact the prevention of AIDS among MSM, and this study looks at the way this social group is viewed in various groups. At issue are syndemic factors contributing to sexual behaviors of this group. The authors of this study take a look at how South Africa is dealing with the reality that so many different social groups are affected by HIV/AIDS. The study aims to provide assistance to marginalized group in the country in need of support. Main Research Question Do sex workers in China behind bars receive few treatment options when being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS? What are the various social factors contributing to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among MSM. Can South Africa re-educate its populace about the dangers of HIV/AIDS? Hypotheses Sex workers in China do receive fewer treatment options in China, particularly when they are incarcerated. MSM have higher incidences of HIV/AIDS due to a social stigma that still exists in many parts of the globe. Current education efforts in South Africa in terms of increase HIV/AIDS awareness is having little impact as of yet. Methodology (quantitative vs qualitative, etc) Qualitative Quantitative Qualitative Analysis of 2+ sources (compare/contrast) Sex workers in China are another marginalized group, similar to gay men in Scotland. For whatever reason, these groups are often labeled as being deviant by their respective communities, so they often receive less access to treatment, and they are often shunned by much of larger society once they reveal their HIV status. These studies demonstrate the importance of reexamining its thinking when considering these different groups. This study can also be compared with that of the one looking specifically at Chinese sex workers. Both groups engage in risk sexual behavior, so it is important to better educate both groups about prevention concerns, but also to help society better accept them and provide more enhanced and welcoming support and assistance, particularly in terms of treatment options. This study and the one that look at communities of color both demonstrate the importance of helping certain social groups come to grips with their HIV status, and to help society accept them better into their fold. Both of these studies look at groups that tend to be infected at higher rates than others, and both have less access to AIDS education and treatment options. Source 10 Source 11 Source 12 Source Title Older Adolescents’ Self-Determined Motivations to Disclose their HIV Status HIV/AIDS in Communities of Color: A Lasswellian Analysis HIV and Tuberculosis: The Construction and Management of Double Stigma APA-formatted citation for source Gillard, A., and Roark, M. (2013). Older adolescents self-determined motivations to disclose their HIV status. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(5), 672-683. Humble, M., and Bride, B. (2009). HIV/AIDS in communities of color: A Lasswellian analysis. Health and Social Work, 34(4), 267-272. Daftary, A. (2012). HIV and tuberculosis: The construction and management of double stigma. Social Science and Medicine, 74(10), 1512. Relevance of source to Research Q Because of peer relationships, it is difficult for adolescents to reveal their HIV status, making it difficult to seek full treatment options. Minority groups tend to historically have a difficult time getting adequate treatment for HIV/AIDS, making them a suitable group to study for this project. This reverts back to the socialized stigma of having HIV/AIDS, and then compounding that with another communicable disease. 2-3 sentence description of source This study interviews multiple teens that are diagnosed with HIV to determine the effects of them revealing their status. In doing so, this study hopes to educate society about the need to be more open and accepting of all types of individual who are HIV+. This study takes a look at various communities that are comprised of a high number of ethnic groups to determine if those with HIV/AIDS are treated differently. That aim is to better discover how to get individuals afflicted with the disease the adequate treatment they need without feel neglected by society. It is important to take a look at the way society looks at groups that have HIV/AIDS in order to determine how they are treated, and what solutions need to be implemented in order to gain better equality for these individuals. The study looks at the various factor contributing to the discrimination of these groups and how that affects the treatment of their disease. Main Research Question Why are many adolescents reluctant to reveal their HIV status? Why do communities of color tend to have higher incidences of HIV/AIDS? Are individuals further stigmatized in society when the presence of another disease in combined with being HIV+? Hypotheses Adolescents are hesitant to reveal their HIV status out of fear of social retaliation among their peer groups. Communities of color receive less education and have fewer HIV/AIDS treatment options than communities dominated by a majority group. Society does tend to repel individuals who have another disease at the same time they are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Methodology (quantitative vs qualitative, etc) Qualitative Qualitative Qualitative Analysis of 2+ sources (compare/contrast) This study and the one that look at communities of color both demonstrate the importance of helping certain social groups come to grips with their HIV status, and to help society accept them better into their fold. Both of these studies look at groups that tend to be infected at higher rates than others, and both have less access to AIDS education and treatment options. Communities of color are often infected with more than just HIV/AIDS. Looking at this study, one can compare it with the study examining the stigma placed on groups that are infected with multiple diseases considered to be ‘taboo’ in many communities around the globe. Education is needed to prevent deadly infections. This study is similar to the one looking at the need for better treatment of HIV/AIDS infected individuals in South Africa. Many areas of the world simply are not treating the disease as seriously as needs to be in order to get certain social groups the access to quality care that they need. Source 13 Source 14 Source 15 Source Title Viral Cartographies: Mapping the Molecular Politics of Global HIV Beyond Buzzwords: Toward a Community-based Model of the integration of HIV Treatment and Prevention Gender Inequality and the spread of HIV-AIDS in India APA-formatted citation for source Crane, J. (2011). Viral cartographies: Mapping the molecular politics of global HIV. BioSocieites, 6(2), 142-166. Mykhalovskiy, E., and Patten, S. (2009). Beyond buzzwords: Toward a community-based model of the integration of HIV treatment and prevention. AIDS Care, 21(1), 25-30. Sarkar, D., and Mitra, A. (2011). Gender inequality and the spread of HIV-AIDS in India. International Journal of Social Economics, 38(5/6), 333-359. Relevance of source to Research Q HIV continues to be a global problem, and certain pockets of society are still stigmatized when being diagnosed with the disease. HIV treatment and prevention has long been a taboo subject in many communities, which leads to many groups being cut off from seeking adequate care. Specifically looks at HIV+ treatment options for women, given their low status in society. 2-3 sentence description of source This article examines the social construct of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and analyzes it from a global political point of view. It is important to determine government policies and how they relate to the way that certain social groups are treatment once becoming HIV+. The authors this study examine ways that communities can better talk about HIV/AIDS in such a way that does not stigmatize being diagnosed with the disease. This creates the need for new vocabulary and a new way of communicating various preventative and treatment measures. This study specifically examines women in India from the perspective that they have not gained equality with men. Given the reality that they are often looked down upon when contracting AIDS/HIV, this study examines the social disparity that exists when they go to seek treatment or other types of education/assistance. Main Research Question Is there a higher incidence of HIV/AIDS in areas that have a certain political ideology? Does current terminology used with HIV/AIDS make it more difficult for some members of a particular social group to actively seek out treatment options? Does India discriminate among the sexes in terms of the treatment of individuals infected with HIV/AIDS? Hypotheses Certain political ideologies lend themselves to having higher rates of HIV/AIDS infection. Current terminology is current leading towards a deepening stereotype of HIV infected individuals, causing them to be reluctant to openly reveal their status. Women in India are less educated and have fewer treatment options provided to them when it comes to being HIV+. Methodology (quantitative vs qualitative, etc) Quantitative Qualitative Qualitative Analysis of 2+ sources (compare/contrast) This article parallels nicely with the study on HIV/AIDS mapping in Texas. By determining areas where there is a higher prevalence of infection, sociologists can more effectively determine contributing factors to what is taking place. When comparing this article with the one looking at the plight of black women with HIV, stark similarities can be seen. Society has developed certain ‘buzzwords’ that describe certain groups that become infected with HIV/AIDS at higher rates. Looking at these studies in conjunction with one another allows researchers to determine that current state of mind in society. Women in India are similar to other marginalized groups, such as gay men in Scotland. When you take a marginalized group, add in HIV infection, society tends to shun the group altogether. These studies provide an effective look at some various factors involved. Outline – Sociology 498 Senior Seminar Student Name: Research Question: How does an individual’s social class, ethnicity, or sexual orientation determine the quality of treatment they receive and how does society view their HIV+ status? I. Introduction - The first section of the paper explains the research question of HIV/AIDS, why I am interested in, and why it is a problem related to various sociological principles. II. Literature Review A. Principles of HIV/AIDS Awareness Among Social Groups - This section analyzes various qualitative studies illustrating the principles that society has implemented in dealing with certain racial and other marginalized groups that have contracted the disease over the years. B. Ethical Theory and Treatment of HIV/AIDS - The concept of meta ethics and egoism are explored, as studies have shown that they related to the treatment endured by individuals afflicted by HIV/AIDS at the hands of society. C. Societal and Individual Values Towards Those with HIV/AIDS - Hume’s Theory of Moral Assessment is explored in terms of explaining why society still stigmatizes the disease. Various studies analyzing the values demonstrated by society and individual people towards social groups afflicted with HIV/AIDS are analyzed. III. Future Research - This section presents areas of HIV/AIDS research among certain social groups that still needs to be explored. New health promotion campaigns, as explained in the literature review, still need to be measured in terms of their effectiveness and their ability to help ease the epidemic of HIV/AIDS moving forward. IV. Conclusion - This final section summarizes the key findings of this report. The reality that HIV/AIDS is approached differently depending on one’s social class or ethnic group is confirmed. The research question is explained once again, are the conclusions reached through the writing. Read More