HIV In The African American Community

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS weakens the immune system hampering the body’s defense mechanisms. AIDS is known to be a deadly disease, especially if it is not treated in a timely manner. AIDS and HIV is an epidemic that is increasing among the African American population with roots tracing back to Africa, AIDS and HIV needs greater exposure and more awareness within the African American community and in the homosexual community.

The term Human Immunodeficiency Virus is commonly known as (HIV), which is a virus that attacks the immune system of humans by destroying the amount of CD4 cells in their bodies. Without CD4 the human body is unable to fight against diseases, which can lead to Acquired Immune deficiency syndrome known as AIDS for short. The first case of the HIV/AIDS virus in the U.S. occurred in the early 1980’s. The first spark of the virus was found in San Francisco with couple of homosexual Caucasian American males. Today African Americans account for the largest proportion of HIV and AIDS in this country, represent approximately 13% of the U.S. population, but accounted for an estimated 44% of new HIV infections in 2010(the last year a study was

African American young men are infected with HIV at an alarmingly high rate in comparison to other races. The negative stigmas that is attached to having HIV in the black community, especially for men can be extremely detrimental and harmful to their overall health. One stigma that was attached to having HIV was death, death was at one time believed to be imminent, and now HIV is about restructuring their lives to face the future (Buseh, Kelber, Stevens & Park, 2008, p.409), yet they still battle other stigmas surrounded around HIV.

​The best solution is the implementation od an Hiv awareness campaign targeted at African-american women. African-american women as a population have lower rates of awareness about HIV infection, ahich is is perceived to be primarily a homosexual disease that’s inflicts homosexual men (Cleveland, 2008). African-american women also are likely to discount the possibility that their male partners are engaged in homosexual activity ( Hunter & King, 2005). Addressing these erroneous beliefs must be the first step in encouraging African-american women to engage in safe sex practices. Providing access to condoms and testing before an awareness campaign puts the cart before the horse.

HIV/AIDS is a disease with social, psychological and physiological consequences for those impacted by the illness. The impact of HIV and AIDS among African American women has been devastating. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 2010) reports that black women represent 29% of the estimated new HIV infections among all adult and adolescent African Americans and HIV/AIDS is the third leading cause of death for black women ages 25?44. Several

This article focuses on the use of faith-based education to educate African-American youth on the topic of HIV and AIDS prevention up to and including drug use and sexuality activity as opposed to a more secular approach.

Many people are unaware of their health status further increasing transmission of disease in young adult African American(AA) women age 18-24. Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) infects and also destroy blood cells (i.e. lymphocytes) that the body need to fight off infection (Mays 2011). African American women HIV positive, age 18-24 the magnitude of issue of the health disparity in this particular population will be addressed along with the many factors of social and health determinants. The health concern is towards the increase of transmission among young AA mothers and their children who are the health outcomes in many ways than one. The many social and health determinants that affect the women today are on going cycles that have yet to be broken. African American women make 64% of new infection cases for HIV. African american obtain a vulnerability unlike other minorities. The health population’s culture and stigma has played an important role in the community. The concern for AA women is the increase of new cases and most importantly the spread of the disease to these women’s children. The mortality rate of AA women with HIV is 47.1% as of 2012. (Siddiqi 2015)

Health is a state of well being, and ideally, in an equal society, all people should be provided with the necessary tools to maintain that state of health. Ideals are mere fantasies, however, since even the most developed countries fall victim to health inequities. These inequities are avoidable inequalities in health between different groups of people. African Americans are among many other groups of people that fall victim to a system that, sometimes inconspicuously creates barriers wherein people cannot adequately arm themselves with the tools to remain healthy. One of the most common health inequities among African Americans is the HIV/AIDs virus. This viruses significance is relatively recent in human history, but the damage it has

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)

They shouldn’t wait too long to explain this to children. Acording to Valerie Jarett As many as 22% of African-Americans with HIV do not know that they have the virus. Of new infections among youth,60% are among black youth, and over half of all HIV positive youth were unaware of their infection. It is a parent's job to teach kids how to protect themselves from HIV. You may think your child is not at risk. But according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) U.S. high school students surveyed in 2011,47.4% had ever had sexual intercourse 33.7% had had sexual intercourse during the previous 3 months, and, of these 39.8% did not use a condom the last time they had sex76.7% did not use birth control pills or Depo-Provera to prevent pregnancy the last time they had sex 15.3% had had sex with four or more people during their life

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

In their research, Robinson et al. (2002) targeted African American women with low socio-economic statuses. While some participants dropped out of the study, there was evidence that an HIV education for prevention method was successful. After the study, researchers found that there was an overall better understanding of sexual anatomy knowledge, increased communication with children about sexual issues, and in some cases; safer sex.

Almost 36.9 million people are currently living with HIV infection and almost 10 million people being died from the infection or as a result related causes or opportunistic infections. At present people acquired the infection reported from all regions in the world. The majority of old and new cases are reported from sub-Saharan Africa which accounts for almost 70%. Most of the HIV infection affects people at their predictive life, and around 40% of the infection occurs in young youth at age less than 25 ys. (Global Health policy, 2014).

According to NATIONAL SURVEY OF TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS ON HIV/AIDS, “There are more than 1.1 million people in the United States living with HIV today, more than at any time in the history of the epidemic. Young people account for two in five new infections in the U.S., and minorities and gay men have been disproportionately affected. To better understand the views of young people in the U.S. on HIV/AIDS at this critical juncture in the epidemic, the Kaiser Family Foundation contracted with the research firm GfK in the fall of 2012 to conduct a national survey of 1,437 teens and young adults ages 15 through 24.( Kaiser Family Foundation 2012)” Nowadays, the age of maturity starts at an early age. From that point, they enter a world full of sexual desires that is apart of being human. This is why it is important for the parent(s) to be

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS has risen over the years especially among adolescents in Florida. The number of such cases is expected to increase by 2025 if there will be no campaigns to fight against HIV/AIDS in the country. According to the report, in 2011, 5394 adults and adolescent were reported to have contracted HIV in Florida. With this figure, Florida was ranked to be the second among the fifty states based on the number of HIV cases that were reported in the year 2011 (Kohler et al., 2011). Mostly, adolescents are referred to as young children aged between 13 and 19 ages and young adults of 20-24 years old.