South Carolina Hiv / Aids Council Project Preplan Community Summit : Taking Action Changing Our Destiny

“Let’s create an AIDS/HIV-free generation”, which is not only a slogan that was proposed by President Obama but also a goal that I would like to achieve on my future career path. My practicum project at the Department of Health and Human Services was to generate dataset of new AIDS/HIV cases in Houston/Harris area required by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and then to use ArcGIS software to make a map describing the new diagnosed in Houston area. The final products can be spatially lined to other sources to enhance understanding of social determinants of health affecting populations impacted by HIV. This practicum experience let me realize that AIDS spreads so quickly is because most people have insufficient knowledge or misconception about the disease and prevention. Becoming a pharmacist to provide prevention service and educate people to improve their health and wellbeing is how I want to reach the goal of creating an AIDS/HIV-free generation.

I interviewed Dr. Kwa Sey who is an epidemiologist with the Los Angeles County department of Public Health and the Director of the International Health Program at Charles R. Drew University (CDREWU). Dr. Sey earned his M.A. in epidemiology and a PhD in Public Health from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) school of Public Health. He has over 16 years of experience working in Public Health. He currently directs CDREWU funded HIV Behavioral Surveillance in Los Angeles and DHAPP funded HIV prevention programs internationally.

One important Healthy People 2020 initiative to discuss is the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections. The goal set through Healthy People 2020 (2015) is, “To promote healthy sexual behaviors, strengthen community capacity, and increase access to quality services to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their complications.” This health care initiative is important through-out the lifespan. It is important when trying to prevent transmission from mother to child and during sexual contact between adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and the elderly. During the pregnancy and birthing process it is important to identify TORCH infections that can be acquired congenitally from mother to offspring. These infections can be transmitted during the birthing process and through breast feeding. It requires important education and prevention measures to help reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality (Stegmann & Carey, 2002). This group

Statistically, black and Latino men are at the highest risk for contracting HIV in the United States. While black people represent only 12% of the U.S population, they make up 44% of people living with HIV. Similarly, Latinos are only 16% of the population and yet 21% of people with HIV are Latino. Because of this staggering disparity the Nebraska Aids Project specifically aims to help these groups; though some of their services are available to the general public and some are more explicitly for those living with HIV. One of the most important services NAP provides is the free HIV testing program. This program provides completely free testing for HIV that can be done either confidentially or anonymously. Nebraska is one of the only states left that allows anonymous testing and while there are some downsides to it, such as the inability to ensure proper health care for those who test positive, it encourages more people to get

Human Immunodefiency Virus has become all too common in my hometown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Rapidly this city has taken the number one spot leading the nation cases per capita of 100,000 people, according to Rene Taylor, Executive Director of Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge. (Feb., 2018). Baton Rouge holds its highest HIV cases in the North Baton Rouge area, where African Americas account for 95% of the residents. Studies show that age, poverty and education level is concurrent with most people infected with the virus. Baton Rouge has many organizations and government funded programs for all residents but coherence is proven to be low. Therefore, I posed the question: How do we decrease the HIV percental in Baton Rouge? I suggest we decrease the HIV epidemic in Baton Rouge by first, providing mandatory Education and statistics about the virus. Secondly, promoting

African Americans have worst health outcomes of all major racial, ethnic and demographic groups in the U.S. According to Gaston & Alleyne-Green (2013), an estimated 233,624 African Americans died from AIDS-related illness in 2007, yet they are less likely to receive antiretroviral medications, are more likely to report poor adherence to medication regimens, and have a disproportionally higher HIV-related morbidity and mortality rate than their White and Hispanic

The implementation of HIV prevention strategies such as Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a method in which individuals who practice risky behavior take a pill that will prevent them from becoming infected with HIV. Storytelling and new media activities is used to spark the interest of this population. “For example, Keep it Up! an interactive online program focused on healthy sexuality, relationships, and preventing HIV was recently found to be feasible and acceptable among diverse YMSM” (Macapagal, Birkett, Janulis, Garofalo, & Mustunski, 2017). Subsequently, there was an increase of condom use by the young men who participated in this program. The intervention program called Popular Opinion Leader (POL) focuses on training individuals such as the young African American (MSM) to encourage members of his community to practice safer and healthier sexual behavior

The possibility of sexually transmitted diseases and infections poses a huge risk to all those who are sexually active. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, STDs and STIs such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV/Aids, and HPV may leave permanent damage to one’s body and increase the likeliness of cervical cancer, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and more. Planned Parenthood offers extensive testing for patients upon every visit to decrease the spread and damage of any and all diseases. According to Sonfield’s research, “Nearly half of female family planning clients receive chlamydia and gonorrhea tests, and 19% receive an HIV test… Without access to these services, in 2010, an estimated 3.6 million women and men would have forgone chlamydia or gonorrhea testing, which would have resulted in tens of thousands of undetected and untreated STIs. By reducing transmission to partners, these testing services helped prevent an estimated 99,000 chlamydia infections, 16,000 gonorrhea infections and 410 HIV infections that year” (Sonfield). The great amount of transferable diseases requires the counteractive services of Planned Parenthood to provide treatment and prevent the further spread of disease. Patients are offered and encouraged to receive testing to maintain sexual health. In the event of an issue, full treatment options are presented at low or no cost and

For the people of Baton Rouge, please observe this appalling epidemic that has been happening in Baton Rouge for decades. Baton Rouge has been on the top of the list for having one of the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in a metropolitan area for the past decade, and we need to get to the bottom of this issue (Reif et al. 4). Some of the possible solutions to this issue include: implementing mandatory comprehensive sex education across Louisiana, reducing HIV stigma, and assisting areas of Baton Rouge that are in concentrated poverty. The presence of HIV has been growing exponentially in the city of Baton Rouge, and this is how to solve the problem.

The North Carolina Healthy Living Standard Course of study has objectives for growth and development, puberty education, sex education and prevention. Any African American male attending these schools has been educated about HIV causes and prevention. Since, they know the benefits of using condom as a protection and even considering changing. To better approach their behavior change toward condom use, the four most useful constructs are contemplation, preparation, action and self-efficacy.

HIV is highly prevalent among the United States population, primarily affecting African Americans of all economic levels and age groups. HIV is transmissible through sexual contact and damages the immune system as it interferes with the individual’s capability to fight off any infections or illnesses. Health inequalities that greatly affect the high rates of HIV include but are not limited to: higher rates of poverty, lack of awareness, intercourse within the same sex, having anxiety towards getting tested for STD’s or HIV, as well as being fearful of “coming out”. Local, state, and nationwide organizations are designed to inform and provide assistance to those who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. S.A.A.F. (Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation)

According to the CDC (2015), more than one million people are living with HIV in the United States, and more than 50,000 become newly infected each year. Unfortunately, one in five Americans living with HIV are unaware of their infection. I believe using the strategy which stresses the use of the 10 essential services of public health will help reduce the incidence of HIV in our

Another high risk demographic that has been identified is US military personnel. Individuals who serve in the armed forces have been known to engage in health risk behaviors, not use condoms regularly, engage in binge drinking that leads to unintentional sex, and have multiple sex partners (Bolan, et. al. 2013). These risky habits lead to the disbursement of STIs in the armed forces. Of particular interest regarding M. genitalium is the United States Air Force members already infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (Hakre, et. al., 2017). It has been found that HIV in the armed forces is prevalent among black males aged twenty to twenty-nine and white men aged thirty to thirty-nine (Hakre, et. al., 2017). Those who test positive for HIV undergo medical evaluations every

Juusola et al. (2012) added to this literature with a study of the cost-effectiveness of daily oral PrEP for MSM. Using a detailed economic analysis combined with the dynamic progression and transmission of HIV/AIDS model, the researchers assessed PrEP cost-effectiveness (based on clinical trials showing a 44 percent reduction in infection) in the general MSM population, and among high-risk MSM. The results indicate that initiating PrEP in 20 percent of U.S. MSM over 20 years would yield a 13 percent reduction in new infections, for a gain of 550,166 QALYs, at a cost $172,091 per QALY gained. Were PrEP to be initiated in a larger proportion of MSM, more new infections would be averted but at a rising cost per QALY gained. On the other

This report is intended to provide an evaluation and assessment of Programs to Increase the Utilization of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Men Who have Sex with Mem (MSM) and Transgender Individuals and Collaborative Efforts to Metropolitan Statistical Area, offered by the International Black Women’s Congress (IBWC) in response to the request for proposal for The Virginia Department of Health, Division of Disease Prevention for the delivery of HIV services in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News Metropolitan Statistical Area (VBN-MSA), that contribute towards improving outcomes along the HIV Care Continuum and reaching the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.