Public Health Problem
Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or most commonly known as HIV is an incurable virus that attacks the body’s T-cell count which makes the body weak and resistant to infections. This is because the primary function of your T-cells or (white blood cells) is to body fight off unwanted pathogens that enter your body since HIV reduces these number of cells your body is unable to fight off these pathogens such as infections which creates a compromised immune system. This retroviral virus affects approximately 37 million people worldwide. The disease begins to progress in 3 stages: acute, chronic(dormant), and AIDS. Acute HIV is the earliest form of HIV that creates an attack on your white blood cells creating a feeling of flu-like symptoms. Next, is chronic or clinical latency where the virus multiplies its cells at a slower rate which don’t express as HIV related symptoms but can still transmit the disease and eventually becomes AIDS. The last stage of HIV is AIDS which is a complete diminish of white blood cells within the body and high concentrations of HIV infection within the body which causes a weak immune system and the opportunity of obtaining several infections or cancers. These symptoms from the cycle of HIV can vary from cold-like symptoms to extreme weight loss with the chance of opportunistic illnesses such as cancer, TB, Meningitis, etc. due to the lack of white blood cells being able to attack these pathogens. (CDC 2018) speculate the root cause of HIV was from a chimpanzee disease (SIV) which people came into contact with when they consumed these primates thus mutating the disease into HIV. The virus is an imperative topic in our world to this day because of how easily it can spread from one individual to the next. For instance, HIV can be transmitted through the contact of bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid, blood, and breast milk (Aids Info 2017). HIV is spread by sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, needle sharing, and pregnancy/breastfeeding. Recent concerns for the future regarding HIV are the quicker transition into the early onset of AIDS, the retrovirus creating a resistance to current antiretroviral therapy (ART), and a mass spread of HIV superinfection (CDC 2018). The biggest risk, however, is contracting HIV superinfection because with this type of HIV, this strain of virus is resistant to current antiretroviral medicine and little treatment can be used to help control the spread of the virus within the body. With new cases, every day of HIV/AIDs its harder to keep track of how this super virus began but it’s believed to have been traced by someone who contracted HIV and had sexual relations with another person who had the virus as well. Thus, mixing two strains of the retroviral disease and continuing to pass it along to the next person since 13% of people who contract HIV don’t know they are carriers until the symptoms of AIDs appear or through the use of STD blood tests. Even though anyone can contract HIV, those who are most at potential risk are sex workers, people from poor countries, young adults, and people with multiple sexual partners. For example, Sub-Saharan presents the highest prevalence of HIV considering it is a target zone for the virus since many of these young adults have unprotected sex because they are in a poorer community which isn’t as accessible to sexual education or protection such as condoms (Warren 7). This results in a high spread of the virus within the area and an increase of births to babies who could already have the virus because the mothers and sexual partners are unaware they have this costly virus until it has fully progressed.
How to Solve the Problem of HIV
HIV is a complex and incurable disease that still arises new issues in today’s world. Even though we have strived in many medical treatments and advances we still have yet to find a cure or a proper solution in order to eradicate the spread of this virus. Current works and public health strategies are being put in order to lower the spread and risk of HIV within the world are access to health services, education, counseling groups, and STI prevention intellect (Toska 15). When these public health works were provided, there was a decrease in positive screenings for HIV this was from the implementing of sexual education and giving young adults in areas like Sub-Saharan Africa knowledge of the virus and how it spreads and providing opportunities to prevent the spread of the virus. By being able to have access to health care and education these adults are able to protect themselves and create the right choices through these interventions. Although access to health care and schools may be costly, it allows for fewer victims to be affected by this deadly virus if left untreated. When people take the time to teach young adults and children of the risks of sexual intercourse and in what ways you can keep yourself safe is when you create a modified community that has this structure it can build itself on. In South Africa, the ability to obtain a sexual education to young adults would create rippling effects that could save thousands of lives. Even though if HIV is treated early on, several individuals can live full and fruitful lives, South Africans don’t receive the same amount of access to health care and medical supplies as more wealthier parts of the world do (Smith and Harrison 68). By implementing sexual education courses that encompass the situation at hand which is, unfortunately, HIV they help raise cognizance on the extent of the disease and how to prevent it from occurring from a population that is at high-risk for the virus. By opposing these social norms of peer pressure and practices of unsafe sex students began to learn the extent of how to protect themselves from STDs that would cripple their future and be passed down to even their own children. In 1998, Australia’s Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services commissioned a project to promote sexual health among young people. This tactic was creating a professional guideline on how to teach sexual education and prevent the spread of HIV transmission in the youth (Warren 6). The school system followed these 5 components: 1) Children are sexually active or will become, 2) Making the program diversified for all types of students (ex: religion, beliefs), 3) Partnerships with schools, 4) Appropriate school curriculum, 5) Keep it at a professional level. By implementing these guidelines Australia’s educational system, helped students understand the process of how to make imperative decisions for the future and to keep them safe. In practicing these precautions students had an idea of how to perceive sexual activity in the future and the steps to take in order to prevent themselves and their partners from being at risk for HIV.
Public Health in the Future
In order to stop the prevention of HIV in our communities, we must tackle the most problematic and areas with the highest concentrations of this disease to limit the number of new cases of HIV. When reading several scholarly articles, a common theme that emerged was to implement sexual education courses within a country’s school system (Smith and Harrison 66). By inserting this curriculum students can understand the severity of HIV and how to learn the symptoms and how to make safer choices when getting involved in sexual activity. Although HIV is incurable with early treatment and consistent use of antiretroviral medications people with HIV can live long and healthy lives and little trace of the virus. However, we have a lot to learn from this virus that affects so many lives around the world. In my personal opinion, I believe by implementing reduced healthcare and free STD screenings in areas all around the world especially areas with high-risk factors will help test for HIV and make individuals want to make sure their partner is tested for their safety and for the safety of those around them. By putting these tests/screens we will help prevent and reduce the spread of HIV and other STDs and provide a chance for the future generation to be able to eradicate this disease.