Hiv And The Prevalence Of Hiv Essay

HIV or the Human Deficiency virus is like other viruses including the flu, but the one thing that makes this virus so different than any other is that the body is unable to clear this one out completely. Once someone is infected, there is no cure. Over time, HIV can also hide or mask itself in the body's cells. The cells within a person's body that fight off infection are called CD4 cells or T cells. HIV attacks these cells and copies or replicates itself inside these cells, then destroys them. HIV over time will destroy so many of these cells that the body is unable to fight off infection anymore. When this starts happening, AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome happens which is the final stage

Studies show that the national average for an adolescent’s first sexual intercourse encounter is seventeen years old. Despite this number being very close to the average age in other industrialized countries, the United States holds a higher percentage of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD) contraction than those countries (Harper et al, 2010, p. 125). It’s becoming evident that while a majority of the nation’s youth is sexually active, they are not doing so with the appropriate knowledge to keep themselves and others healthy.

"Approximately four million teens get a sexually transmitted disease every year" (Scripps 1). Today’s numbers of sexually active teens differ greatly from that of just a few years ago. Which in return, projects that not only the risk of being infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) has risen, but the actual numbers of those infected rise each year as well. These changes have not gone unnoticed. In fact have produced adaptations as to how society educates its young adults about sex, using special programs, various advertising, and regulating sexual education courses in public schools. One major adaptation is the advancement and availability of

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.

In the 1980s, a mysterious disease began to take the lives of Americans. With the cause unknown, a fear grew among Americans. An unusually high rate of people was becoming sick with strange and rare diseases. When experimental treatments failed to work, people died. This mysterious disease is what we now know as HIV–Human Immunodeficiency Virus. In the past thirty-five years, the HIV has taken many turns in history. Although we do not hear about HIV and AIDS now, it is still a prevalent issue in the United States and in the world.

Poverty is not just about income, but it is about the health of people, their feelings, relationships and the environment, and society (Sutherland, 2013). According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) (2016), the highest poverty rate is among African Americans, which make up 27.4 percent. In addition, children under the age of 18, which is about 21 percent of about 15.3 million, live in poverty. The concern related to this population is the chances of adolescent getting HIV. According to McKay, Alicea, Elwyn, McClain, Parker, Small, and Mellins (2014), 50 percent of adolescents and young adults are infected with HIV each year. In addition, due to the fact that some adolescent

Over 15 million STD’s are contracted in the U.S. each year (Koumans et al., 2005). Over one one-fifth of these cases involve two of the most commonly known STDs: chlamydia and gonorrhea (Koumans et al., 2005) Unfortunately, most of the individuals who get infected with these diseases fall into the age range of 15-24 years old (Koumans et al., 2005). According to Wyatt & Oswalt (2014), almost half of all STD’s contracted each year are by young people ages 15-24 years old. Moreover, the data shows that, “45% of herpes infections, 70% of gonorrhea infections, 63% of chlamydia infections, and 49% of HPV infections occur among youth between the ages of 15-24 years” (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2014). Given that many college students are between the ages of 18-24 years, it is important that schools focus on educating students about the risk of

In the last decade or so, however, the growing awareness of the dangers of AIDS does appear to have contributed to a decline in the rates of sexual intercourse among teens. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that between 1991 and 2005 the percentage of teenagers who are sexually active dropped from 57.4 percent to 46.3 percent among males and from 50.8 percent to 44.9 percent among females. The rates of pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted disease among teens have actually dropped even faster than the rate of sexual activity. So it appears that, in addition to postponing sex, teens are also becoming more responsible in their sexual activities. For example, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 87.5 percent of teens were either abstinent or used condoms. Of course, that means that 12.5 percent of teens were still having unprotected sex, but that is a significant improvement over past decades. Similarly, although the rate of teen pregnancy has declined, more than 11 percent of the babies born in the United States

We have all heard the stories about the rise in teenage pregnancies, girls dropping out of school to care for their newborns, and even those who get pregnant on purpose. This new trend is everywhere. Most parents fail to have the “talk” with their children and are left without the proper education regarding sex until its too late. With the current rates of teenage pregnancy correlated with the current rates of spreading epidemics of STD’s and HIV/AIDS, steps should be taken in an effort to aid the situation. Schools are a main source of information and education for teens, and are in a unique position that can provide adolescents with knowledgeable skills and understanding that promote sexual health. With consistent speculation surrounding

Every year a group of teens form El Paso goes through an extensive training of approximately eleven sessions. Once this program is completed they are then required to attend another training in which they are instructed on the HIV/AIDS’ history, prevention methods, and ways of spreading along with other influential factors. Once they have completed this training they are then certified as Teen Advisory Board educators. Once certified these teens begin outreach. They attend schools, from middle schools to colleges, to conduct presentations on HIV/AIDS. They stress the importance of having the right information in order to do the right choices. They talk about the risk factors that can increase the possibility of individuals becoming infected with this virus. Such factors include the usage of drugs and alcohol as well as peer pressure. In targeting these risk factors not only do they help lower the excessive use of drugs and alcohol but they are also preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Another goal of this program is to destroy ignorance. By giving these individuals the correct information they are trying to eliminate the stigmas that for decades have accompanied this

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. A member of a group of viruses called retroviruses, HIV infects human cells and uses the energy and nutrients provided by those cells to grow and reproduce. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off certain infections, known as "opportunistic infections," and other illnesses that take advantage of a weakened immune system. When a person is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in the white blood cells. These are the immune cells that normally protect us from disease.

Women with drug addictions has conclusively linked with HIV/ AIDS since this epidemic has started. HIV is the acronym for human immunodeficiency virus and it causes the immune system to become weak. As a result, this causes the body to be terrible at protecting itself against diseases and other viruses. HIV causes damage by harming the immune cells in the body. The immune cells it affects are called CD4 positive (CD4+) T cells, which are vital for fighting infections in the body. HIV metamorphose the CD4+T cells into little factories that cause the production of more of the virus to destroy other healthy cells, which eventually destroys the CD4+ T cells. When a person has less than 200 in cell count, the patient diagnosed with the disease AIDS. HIV/AIDS and its link to drugs is involved when risky behaviors are involved when transmitting or contracting the deadly disease. Since AIDS is not cure-able, prevention of transmission can be avoided is very important to understand in sexual education. Some treatments and therapies are given to drug abusers, which aid these goals of sexual education. The immune system weakens when the T cells are lost and as a result, a person becomes more subject to infections and common illnesses, to help slow this process down, special medicine is distributed to the person infected with the virus. Some medicines and remedies are given to HIV patients to help lower the risk of transmission and advancement of the disease. In addition, it helps

HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a virus which damages and kills cells of the immune system. It attacks the T-cells, key cells of the immune system, and uses them to make copies of itself. After being infected with the virus it progressively interferes and eventually destroys the immune system's ability to fight the anti-genes. HIV may develop into the syndrome AIDS, the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV is an STD - a sexually transmitted disease - and therefore most commonly it is spread through sexual contact, and the virus mainly enters the body through the penis, mouth, lining of the vagina or vulva during sexual activity. HIV can also be spread through sharing syringes or needles with someone who is infected with the

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.