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Covert Infectious Agent Plagued A Distinct Group Of Individuals

Decent Essays

Approximately 34 years ago a covert infectious agent plagued a distinct group of individuals, and took its rightful place in medicinal history. Young homosexual men were succumbing to rare terminal malignancies at an alarming rate, causing doctors to notify the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention alongside other healthcare agencies of its disturbing effects. In the early 1980’s, light was shed upon a new illness formally described as gay compromise syndrome, GRID (gay-related immune deficiency), or gay cancer. After a significant number of heterosexuals were infected, those names were considered redundant and the acronym AIDS was adopted.
“In 1981, when the virus was discovered, being HIV-positive was considered a death sentence; …show more content…

The initial steps taken by the CDC in the early stage of this rising health problem demonstrated two of the three core functions of public health, (assessment and assurance). Assessment calls for regularly and systematically collecting, analyzing and making available information on the health of a community. Assurance involves guaranteeing constituents that services necessary to achieve agreed on goals are provided by encouraging actions on the part of others, by requiring action through regulation, or by providing services directly. (Turnock, 2012, pg. 514)
The appointed epidemiologist fulfilled these functions by collecting data, providing risk factors, and providing recommendations about the cause of disease to the public. The World Health Organization (2015) states, “A risk factor is any attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or injury.” (World Health Organization, 2015) There are several risk factors associated with the spread of HIV which include, the practice of engaging in vaginal, anal, or oral sex in conjunction with having numerous and unspecified partners, while not using a condom. If people have a

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