The Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv ) / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ( Aids )

Hispanic and Latinos have been the nation's fastest-growing ethnic population in the past several decades. HIV diagnoses in Latino and Hispanic populations have been rising in the past decades. In 2011, Latinos and Hispanics represented 17% of the total population in the US, but however, they also accounted for 21% of the estimated adults diagnosed with HIV infections in the United States. In fact, in 1985, Latinos were at 15% of all diagnosed HIV cases and in 2010, it increased to 22% in the U.S. National Latinos AIDS Awareness day is observed each year to increase awareness of that impact of HIV on the Hispanic and Latino population. The recent slogan—To End ADS Commit Act—was chosen to mobilize Hispanics to commit ending HIV in their communities.

In the documentary “The Age of AIDS,” FRONTLINE examines the outbreak of AIDS since its first diagnosed case in 1981. The film investigates different medical, political and social environments under AIDS pandemic in the US and worldwide. The film not only focuses on the scientific research and progress in treating the disease, it also looks at the social stigma, government strategies and public campaigns around different countries.

There are many health problems that we face globally and each of them are important for us to be aware of and to take precautions and measures to prevent and treat such diseases that affect our global population. HIV/AIDS is a disease that is spread through direct contact with body fluids from a person who is infected with the virus, these fluids include blood, semen, rectal fluid, vaginal fluids and breast milk. There are an approximate 35 million people living with the disease globally as of 2015 and about 1 million of those people are children under the age of 15 (Aids.gov, 2016). There are approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with the disease and of those individuals many became infected with HIV by needle or syringe sharing,

Luckily, the perception of HIV has changed since then, along with the negative stigma and association with the homosexual community. Activist groups have stepped in to raise awareness to prevent the spread of HIV and allow for a knowledgeable society to emerge. They’re trying to end rumors of ignorance on transmission, which has no scientific backing. HIV cannot be transmitted through any casual contact, including drinking fountains, shaking hands, sitting on a bus, and even kissing will not transfer the virus. These activists cannot improve the

Though the disease is still infecting many, new technology and medical techniques that include medication have made it possible to live a normal life after being infected with the HIV virus. Doctors are now far past the era in which they would deny care to an HIV-positive patient and that is because they are aware of the disease and are not afraid. Being afraid of something can unknowingly turn a person into a monster. Since being educated doctors and other healthcare professionals have been able to turn a new leaf and hop over to the supporting side of AIDS. Other than being under a doctor’s care, successful strategies for combating AIDS include “increasing awareness about prevention strategies such as using clean needles and condoms and, most recently, promoting male circumcision” (Conley 442). All these biological measures combating the chemical nature of AIDS work hand in hand to reform the social structure of the disease. Those living with AIDS in the United States today are not looked at as if they are lepers, instead they are view as survivors and

HIV/AIDS is capable of destroying a country, killing millions of people, promoting gender barriers, discrimination, debt, abuse, and increasing poverty. In addition, “HIV/AIDS results in gossip and rejection by family, friends, and neighbors and physical, verbal, and sexual abuse by intimate partners, ultimately distancing women from sources of economic and food support, causing infected people to be fearful and hesitant to disclose their HIV status. With people hiding HIV/AIDS, it will be impossible to tell whether or not that person has it, causing it to spread rapidly, without people even knowing it. People could share needles with others and engage in sexual intercourse to spread HIV without even knowing if they or the other person has

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) states that more than a million people in the United States alone are living with, and dying from Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), and almost one in seven people are unaware of their HIV infection status. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections worldwide has remained relatively high. The trend of new infections continues at an increased level particularly among certain population groups and geographical locations with many separate epidemics. Each of these epidemics involves different risk behaviors and practices, such as unprotected sex with multiple partners or sharing intravenous drug equipment (Marcus et.al, 2015). Some countries have made tremendous efforts in expanding and ensuring access to treatment, but have made little to no progress in advancing HIV/AIDS prevention programs, whereas other countries with declining HIV/AIDS prevalence are not making enough and rapid progress to ensure access to, and availability of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention resources. HIV/AIDS has gradually declined in the amount of media attention it receives, especially in the United States as cancer remains the global number one health issue. HIV/AIDS is still prevalent in the communities and it is important that the general public remain educated and sensitized about the disease process and its

The NHAS strategy has changed the way the US talks/thinks about HIV, prioritize/organize for HIV prevention, and care at the local, State, Federal levels (The White House, 2015). The updated strategy incorporates the successes/lessons learned of the original goals, but calls for a focus on the following priorities: (1) Widespread HIV testing and linkage to care, (2) Support for people living with HIV to remain engaged in comprehensive care, (3) Universal viral suppression, (4) Full access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Among individuals aged 13-24, an estimated 51% of those living with HIV at the end of 2013 did not know they were infected. In 2015, 39,513 individuals were diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States. In the United States, 6,721 individuals died from HIV and AIDS in 2014. African americans who adhere to an HIV program, will more than likely have an increase in compliance to HIV treatment. One of the most valuable means of combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic is through health education and awareness campaigns. Some of these campaigns emphasize abstinence while others focus on safe sexual activity. In the United States, HIV prevention programs had previously focused on abstinence education as the primary means of preventing HIV infection.

Although medication can allow patients to live a long and relatively normal life it does not cure HIV therefore prevention is vital in reducing the number of new infections. Encouraging health protection behaviours can often be a challenge (Kaplan, Sallis and Patterson, 1993a). People have different beliefs towards health and illness therefore behaviours are different from person

When one thinks of looking at the experiences of people who have HIV/AIDS, two things may come to mind. The first thing may be the diversity of people who are actually living with HIV/AIDS around them. The second thing may be is how frequently and in how many ways people with HIV/AIDS are stigmatized and discriminated against. That being said, sometimes it may appear that all the people who are living with HIV/AIDS may be alike in only two ways such as having contracted the HIV/AIDS infection and being stigmatized and discriminated against for having HIV/AIDS. Stigma and discrimination tend to cancel out all of society’s empathy and humanity as a whole. The result of such harsh discrimination and stigmatization may cause an individual with

In the last three decades HIV/ AIDS has become the one of the most notorious and widely spread diseases in the modern world. Its discovery in the late seventies prompted worldwide concern. The one thing that has become the most bothersome thing about the HIV/ AIDS epidemic is prevention. Prevention or stopping the transmission of the diseases is hindered by factors such as: denial or non-acceptance by infected persons, unsafe sex, and non-disclosure by infected persons to their at risk sexual partner(s). According to Alghazo, Upton, and Cioe (2011):

The AAA has had an incredible impact by bringing the important message of HIV prevention into the living rooms of all Americans. Notably, a message can resonate with persons of all backgrounds, thereby prompting them to act. Subsequently, these actions or reactions resulting from the message can inspire individuals to seek additional resources, get tested or take precautions going forward, all measures that are pivotal to bringing an end to HIV.

Today, as we must know HIV is still spreading around the world and neither a vaccine nor a cure exists. The prevention of the disease remains the main key of the strategy to stop the epidemic. The most common mode of HIV transmission is sexual contact; therefore, HIV prevention is closely linked to the sexual and reproductive health of men and women. Effective prevention programs include interventions that promote sex abstinence, delay sexual initiation, maintain a mutually faithful partner, limit sexual partners, use condoms consistently and correctly, and counsel and test for HIV. The most effective combination of these interventions depends on the characteristics of groups infected with HIV. Effective programs also consider the social,

The prevailing public disapproval that shrouds people with HIV/Aids and social prejudice these people receive is an important issue that needs tackling. Even with infinite information made readily available through the luxury of our smart phones, people today still have fallacies