English 302 Knowledge Report

HIV/ AIDS affect African Americans at a higher rate than any other race (White, Asian, and Hispanic). With African Americans making up approximately 13 percent of the U.S. population, in 2014, they made up almost half of all new HIV/AIDS cases; 44 percent. African American men accounted for 73 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases, and of that 43 percent of African American men were heterosexual (CDC 2014). Since heterosexual African American men don’t equate to the larger population of HIV cases as compared to African American men who have sex with men, these heterosexual men are virtually invisible in the theoretical and empirical psychological HIV/AIDS literature (Bowleg, 2004, p.166).

Being a first year student at the Fortis Institute Dental Hygiene School, I have experienced many wonderful things. I have made new friendships, enhancing my learning experience, furthering my career, and my personal favorite experience, clinic. I have learned many techniques from observing the other students during this time. Also, being in the clinic had shown me that being an RDH is what I want to do. In my essay I will discuss my Fears, experiences, observations, my new found confidences, and finally how my view of Dental Hygiene has changed.

​African-Americans are the ethnic group most affected by HIV/AIDS. Ironically african-americans represent 14% of the population of the United States , but represent 44% across the gender line. African-american men represent 70% of HIV infections among the ethnic group, however african-american women are also highly at risk of HIV infection. Indeed they have a rate of infection that is 15 times greater than the rate for caucasion women (HIV among African-Americans, 2012). Most African-american women (85%) are infected with HIV through heterosexual sex, often with partners, who claim to be

The African American women age 18-24 who contract HIV have a high mortality rate than other racial groups. African American women are known to be less likely to date outside their race. Although

In the course of my time volunteering at the UCSD Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, I came to understand how poverty, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the importance of dental care can lead to readily preventable and treatable dental problems. These dental problems can lead to a cascade of issues, preventing an individual’s progress. As a clinic volunteer inside the school’s dental clinic, I noticed young students, with poor dental care, have constant pain that affected their studies and attitude. I recall a Hispanic young boy telling me he was sharing a toothbrush with his family. I hand over multiple toothbrushes and, using Spanish cards, educate him on oral hygiene. With each treatment visit, he was eager to tell the dentist

Department of Health & Human Services the group of people who are disproportionately affected by HIV are African Americans Gay and Bisexual Men. From 2005 to 2014, diagnoses increased 22% among all African Americans Gay and bisexual men and 87% among young African Americans and gay and bisexual men. By the end of 2013, an approximation of 493,543 gay and bisexual men were living with the HIV infection. Of those, 152,303 (31%) were African American, 210,299 (43%) were white, and 104,529 (21%) were Hispanic/Latino (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). Socioeconomic factors limited access to quality health care, lower income and educational levels, and higher rates of unemployment and incarceration may place some African American gay and bisexual men at higher risk for HIV than men of some other races/ethnicities.

According to recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 1.2 million individuals in the United States have HIV (about 14 percent of which are unaware of their infection and another 1.1 million have progressed to AIDS. Over the past decade, the number of HIV cases in the US has increased, however, the annual number of cases remains stable at about 50, 000 new cases per year. Within these estimates, certain groups tend to carry the burden of these disease, particularly the gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (MSM) and among race/ethnic groups, Blacks/African American males remain disproportionately affected. (CDC)

The person who is HIV positive experiences many barriers to healthcare, whether it be actual barriers or perceived barriers. A study by Mill, Edwards, Jackson, Austin, MacLean, & Reintjes (2009) revealed that people living with HIV (PHA) had negative experiences with healthcare workers in a number of ways. One PHA in the study reported that he overheard his nurse call him by a derogatory name. Another PHA reported that healthcare workers double-glove as soon as they learn they are HIV positive, leaving the PHA to feel stigmatized. On the reverse end of that issue, the study also revealed that some healthcare workers may forego gloves altogether to validate their comfort level with the PHA’s diagnosis. This leaves both the healthcare worker and PHA unprotected and at risk for infection. One nurse

The prevalence of HIV in the African American community is unmatched by any other population. African Americans accounted for 49% of all HIV related deaths in 2010 (CDC, 2014). In my specialty area of family practice, I have encountered only one non-minority patient with HIV; all others have been African-American. This population needs to be of high consideration for disease education. African Americans are typically unaware of resources available to prevent the transmission of this disease, as well as testing available to them in their communities. African American children, especially, are at greater risk for HIV due to lack of knowledge and earlier age of engaging in sexual intercourse. They are typically unaware that their behavior can yield such a negative outcome (CDC, 2012). Many urban schools lack proper funding to accommodate a sexual education curriculum. It is of increased importance to raise awareness, educate and provide a plan of care for the African American teenage and adult population, as the incidence of this disease rises daily.

The increased number of newly diagnosed HIV cases among young males who have sex with men (MSM) are due to the epic behavioral activities of the young African American males who have sex with men. However, identifying health disparities, stigmas and barriers, and prevention interventions can help alleviate HIV among young African American males who have sex with men.

According to the CDC, one in eighty-five Mississippians will acquire HIV in their lifetime (Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). In 2015, there were 509 reported cases of HIV, of those cases 80% were African American and 30% were between the ages of 13-24 (Mississippi State Department of Health, 2016). As research demonstrates that the burden of HIV rests in the young African American community, the study will be conducted in four of the six HBCUs in Mississippi. Sites for recruitment of participants will include, Jackson State University (JSU), Alcorn State University, Tougaloo College and Mississippi

This was noted as an important topic because for racial minorities, strong ethnic identity is an important protective factor in their lives. Simply, for highly marginalized groups, strong ethnic identity may serve as a protective factor by helping racially marginalized groups resist internalizing negative self-images and associated risk behaviors based on their racial membership and minority status (Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelk-Cone, & Zimmerman, 2003). Researchers felt that this study was important because many studies have previously examined whether ethnic identity is related to self-reported sexual risk behaviors. For instance, among a sample of mostly adult African American, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander gay males, no relationship was found between ethnic identity and risky sexual behaviors (Chng & Gelia-Vargas, 2000). Also, prior investigations have determined that higher ethnic identity was associated with a lower number of unsafe sexual acts during the past four months among African American women (Beadnell et al.,

After finishing English 302, you have significantly improved your research and writing skills through the various completed assignments like the genre analysis and discourse community analysis. These assignments have helped you explore more into your career field and analyze the dialogues that scholars are having about the continuous research that is going in the international security realm. By examining the scholarly conversations happening in your field, it has improved your ability to critically read and organize the texts to build your reflection or argument on these topics being studied. You have accomplished this by the research and questioning done in the major writing assignments in English 302. The research proposal has been a great

Various studies show evidence that link the relationship between social determinants of health and the risk for HIV. Interrelated social determinants of health can create a context of vulnerability and risk for HIV. It is very important to be able to recognize the interrelation components of HIV risk in order determine the HIV prevention response that is the most effective. For instance, research shows that HIV rates are significantly higher in Black men who have sex with men (MSM) than for MSM of other races. These rates, which are very disproportionate, are not attributable to a higher frequency of sexual risk behaviors. To appropriately address risk for MSM of different races, it is imperative to understand the process of disease transmission among these populations, in other words, the social determinants of health that are involved, such as access to healthcare (CHLA, 2012).

This research study explored the intention and belief’s about getting tested for a Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD) with college students. Most STD show no signs or symptoms, so they easily go undetected. Since STD’s go undetected in many people, it is easier for the infection to spread from person to person. College students are at the most risk for coming in contact with an STD. Researchers want to discover what factors such as, attitudes, norms and perceived behavioral control, contribute in a college students decision about getting tested for an STD. Secondly, researchers want to explore the belief’s that may differ between an intenders (willing to get tested) and nonintenders (unwilling to get tested) of STD testing.