Disease Control Plan

Running head: HIV/AIDS 0

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that has not been attended to medically leads to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The HIV virus cannot be eliminated by the body like other viruses. This virus attacks the CD4 cells found in the immune system weakening its ability to fight infections. It is the reason that a person with HIV may be vulnerable to diseases that other may not be such as tuberculosis. Reduction of CD4 cells due to the presence of HIV in a person who is not under medication leads the body signaling its sick with the cropping up of infectious disease due to weakened protection. HIV uses the CD4 counts to multiply itself in the process diminishing these important cells. This multiplication of HIV cells has step steps and is widely known as the HIV life cycle. The seven steps are bidding, fusion, reverse transcription, integration, replication, assembly and budding (Services, 2016). AIDS occurs when the final stage of HIV is reached and is fatal within three years. Not everyone who has HIV eventually gets AIDS.

I chose this infectious disease as I realized that a few years back this topic was very common as people were being urged to get tested and know their status. There were also high levels of stigma associated with this disease and thus people who were infected kept it to themselves. Later on, as the public became more educated on the matter those affected and were brave enough started to come together to form support groups where they were educated more on the disease, healthy living and supported each other. However, the intensity of the debate has dwindled significantly over the last few years and HIV/AIDS no longer makes it to the news that often. Choosing this infectious disease was to due interest of knowing the recent trends on this field. Without a cure, having been found yet, there are thousands of people living with this disease and I wish to take a peek at what their daily life is like.

The United States government, upon the discovery of HIV virus in 1981, moved fast to learn more about the disease which has since been described as an epidemic. Many bodies such as the Center for Disease Control, committee on AIDS Research established by National Research Council of National Academy of sciences amongst many other have made use of many resources in order to conduct research and educate the public on HIV/AIDS as part of their mitigation efforts. Government has funded HIV/AIDS prevention programs that has successfully prevented over 350, 000 new infections which has been seen as an indication that these programs can achieve more. It has been achieved through the national HIV/AIDS strategy which outlines tools that can effectively be employed. CDC has established a department solely dedicated to HIV/AIDS matters and has conducted surveillance, research and funding so that its impacts can be greater in preventing the epidemic (National Center for HIV/AIDS, 2011). This strategy has been updated to 2020 with more emphasis on prevention and care.

Numerous investigations, research studies and other surveillance have been conducted over the years each taking a different perspective on the matter. These have led to the establishment of goals of departments dealing with HIV/AIDS issues. There has been an identified need for all people who are infected to know their status so as to start their Anti-Retroviral Treatments. This is after research showed that this treatment improves quality of life in addition to reducing chances of infection. It would go a long way in helping boost prevention if HIV-positive people knew their status. Once status is confirmed they would be put under care as soon as possible so that the virus is suppressed. HIV care Continuum is employed to keep surveillance on the population and strategies developed accordingly. Other investigations have shown that the south experiences the largest HIV burden in the US due to the coasts there that attract people of all walks of life. Measures have been drafted to strengthen prevention programs in these places. Race has also been used in studying this epidemic with blacks being the worst affected in the south and especially amongst the black-gay community. It has also been established that in the south people who are positive are most likely to not be aware of their status. Priority populations such as the transgender have also been the center of analysis regarding HIV/AIDS. Generally, it is an epidemic that has transformed many aspects of the social, economic, political and other societal institutions. Studies that relate this epidemic to a wide range of aspects have been performed over the years including but not limited to its relation to substance abuse, environmental issues and mental health (HHS, 2016).

HIV/AIDS emerged in the US in 1981. It was new epidemic and rapidly spread which was later attributed to demographic factors. Like many other infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS is traced back to an animal. During its emergence, there were no drugs that could control it with the ART having been discovered much later. HIV/AIDS continues to reemergence in a way that scientists cannot make accurate predictions about the disease. Government findings and investigations of disease indicate that there are about 50, 000 new infections annually. There are already 1.2 million people living with AIDS in the United States. These figures are differently skewed amongst the diverse populations in the country. Blacks are the most affected with a large percentage possibly living with HIV compared to whites whereas the Hispanics/Latinos are three times more likely to be living with it compared to whites. Men who have sex with other men regardless of race and ethnicity have a higher chance of being infected. 90% of HIV-positive people live in 23 states whereas 50% of them reside in 5 states. In the past HIV/AIDS has caused many deaths and led to increased victimization. Current there are many ongoing programs to combat victimization with human rights being insisted for all. ART has also become an important part of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Ongoing research pertaining this disease still seeks to find a cure. There is also research that seeks to understand how ARTs achieve so much in the fight against this epidemic.

References

HHS. (2016, 12 21). CDC. Retrieved 3 9, 2017, from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/policies

National Center for HIV/AIDS, V. H. (2011). Strategic plan-Division of HIV/AIDS prevention 2011-2015. Washington DC\: US Department of Health and Human Services.

Services, D. o. (2016, November 30). Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 3 9, 2017, from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/whatishiv.html