http://animoto.com/play/ycI2zl7tW7CDeFFPe7xvjw

Spread Awareness

    NOT the Disease

Works Cited

MD, Baligh, Yehia. MD, Ian, Frank. (2011). “Battling AIDS in America: An Evaluation of the

            National Strategy”. American Journal of Public Health. Pages 1-10. DOI: 101: 4-8

10.2105/AJPH.2011.300259. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

sid=d0be4295-115d-440b-b722-6c46f4e31688%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=113> .

Mutchler,  G. Matt, Wagner Glenn, McKay Tara, Bogart M. Lauren.  (2001). “Improving

             HIV/AIDS care through treatment advocacy: going beyond client education to

             empowerment by facilitating client-provider relationships” . AIDS Care, Routledge.

             Pages  79-90. DOI:10.1080/09540120.2010.496847.

             <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0be4295-115d-440b-b722- 

             6c46f4e31688%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=113> .

SC, Kalichman. L, Eaton. C, Cherry. (2009). “Sexually transmitted infections and infectiousness

            beliefs among people living with HIV and AIDS: implications for HIV treatment as

            prevention”. 2010 British Association HIV Medicine. Pages 1-10. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-

1293.2009.00818.x. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f2a6e64e-a60e-4c2f-9e64-163bf1a0cfb5%40sessionmgr12&vid=5&hid=14> .

“Number of people living with HIV by region and proportion around the world.” Pie chart.

Global HIV/ AIDS Response. www.avert.org. 20 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.avert.org/worldstatisticsinformation.htm>

Arguementative Essay

Hope for Our Futures

            AIDS has taken the lives of many of my family members. My sixteen year old cousin inherited HIV at birth. Her mother, my aunt, died from AIDS when my cousin was only four years old. Her father also died from AIDS when she was ten years old. She was raised without parents. She is one of the billions of people who struggle and fight against this disease every day of their lives.

HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, this virus eventually leads to AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus. The infection of HIV occurs through exchanges of bodily fluids. This disease destroys the body’s immune system and makes it vulnerable to many infections and illnesses, like cancers, to thrive. Some of the most common symptoms of HIV/AIDS are: rapid weight loss, flu, respiratory problems, depression, herpes, genital warts and skin rashes, blurred vision, soaking night sweats, swollen lymph glands, and chronic diarrhea.    There is no cure for HIV or AIDS.

Over thirty years ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered the first cases of AIDS in the United States. Since then, more than half a million Americans have died of AIDS and 1.1 million people are currently living with HIV in the United States (Baligh 1).

            This graph in my blog shows that the majority of people living with HIV are in low and middle income countries by region. The largest population of infected people is in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is two-thirds of the world's population, or 68 percent. The second highest is in East, South and South-East Asia, this is 4.1 million people, or 12 percent. North America contains 1.5 million, or 4.5 percent. Eastern Europe and Central Asia, also Central and South America account for 1.4 million people of the world's population, or 4.5 percent. This epidemic is not only affecting the people in America, but the world as a whole.

            The chances of spreading this disease have also slimmed down; less people are being infected. According to the article, “Sexually transmitted infections and infectiousness beliefs among people living with HIV/AIDS: implications for HIV treatment as prevention”,   infectious beliefs play a critical role in HIV transmissions. The majority of individuals diagnosed with HIV avoid infecting other people with the disease. People are now making safer decisions and choosing to wear protection.

           There have been different approaches to the disease treatment as well. “The Treatment Advocacy (TA) aims to educate people and provide counseling regarding HIV. The TA goes beyond traditional education and provides a safe place for clients to discuss diagnosis and other health issues in a more comprehensive way and better health care services”. (Mutchler 2) Through new programs such as these patients are able to talk and find solutions, and doctors get more insight, and a deeper understanding of issues affecting their clients because of the client-provider relationships formed. Clients can seek advice and gain skills from providers they can trust. These programs help individuals learn how to become better in control of their own care. Another program called Effective Antiretroviral Therapy has also taken the same turn in HIV treatment. “The use of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) has led to major improvements in the health of HIV- infected populations” (Bansi 432).  Treatments such as these have transformed the care of people with HIV.

           

The government has also become involved in the fight against AIDS. Authors MD Yehia Baligh and MD Frank say that in response to HIV/ AIDS epidemic the Obama administration has released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The NHAS has three goals: reducing new infections, improving access to care and health outcomes, and reducing HIV- related disparities. The NHAS plans on reducing new HIV infections by 25 percent in the next five years. They plan on improving access to medical care through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); these programs expand Medicaid coverage to include people younger than 65 and with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. The NHAS also plans on reducing HIV related difference dealing with race/ethnicity and sexual orientation for people with HIV. (MD, Baligh, Yehia. MD, Ian, Frank. (2011). “Battling AIDS in America: An Evaluation of the National Strategy”. American Journal of Public Health. Pages 1-10. DOI: 101: 4-8 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300259). The NHAS focuses on specific actions. The NHAS is a step forward in America’s battle against HIV/ AIDS.

                 People may disagree that the treatment for HIV is improving. However, the NHAS has set a goal to reduce new HIV infections by 25% in the next five years. According to the NHAS and ART, over the next ten years, HIV prevalence is expected to increase by 24% to 38%, mostly because the life extending effect of antiretroviral therapy. Scientist and doctors are gaining more knowledge, and there is no telling to what they can accomplish in the future. People are trying to do something about this deadly disease. More and more people across the world are receiving help and care. Lives are being saved.

       Therefore, the treatment for HIV and AIDS has improved, and it will continue to improve as the years go by. Thirty years ago, America was not advanced as it is now. People have become more aware of this disease and are making better and more carful decisions to protect themselves and others around them. Doctors and therapist created programs that offer one-on-one sessions with patients and help them find individual diagnosis. The government and President Obama have also become concerned. They are working on specific actions to tackle the HIV/AIDS dilemma. As this country progresses into the future we will continue to advance and the treatment will continue to improve. There is still hope for victims with the virus. Due to our advances in technology, medicine and years of research, the treatment for this disease has improved and the chances of being infected have decreased. Victims now have a chance at survival.  I believe one day we will find a cure, and there will be hope for our futures.

Annotated Bibliography

3 Articles

“Sexually transmitted infections and infectiousness beliefs among people living with HIV/AIDS: implications for HIV treatment as prevention”

In this article the authors, SC Kalichman, L Eaton and C Cherry, that HIV will soon be controlable in the next few years like other diseases. They claim that people who take HIV treatment or medications are less likely to infect other people. They completed an investigation by rounding up three hundred and twenty seven men, and one hundred thirty seven women living with HIV/AIDS from the AIDS service organizations, clinics and agencies. They performed tests on these participants. They took computerized interviews, they were asked about their basic information, their common symptoms, when they were diagnosed with HIV, and other questions.

SC, Kalichman. L, Eaton. C, Cherry. (2009). “Sexually transmitted infections and infectiousness beliefs among people living with HIV and AIDS: implications for HIV treatment as prevention”. 2010 British Association HIV Medicine. Pages 1-10. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2009.00818.x. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f2a6e64e-a60e-4c2f-9e64-163bf1a0cfb5%40sessionmgr12&vid=5&hid=14> .

“Battling AIDS in America: An Evaluation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy”

In this article authors Yehia Baligh, Ian, and Frank say that in response to HIV/ AIDS epidemic the Obama administration has released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The NHAS has three goals: reducing new infections, improving access to care and health outcomes, and reducing HIV- related disparities. The NHAS plans on reducing new HIV infections by 25% in the next five years.  They on improving access to medical care through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); these programs expand Medicaid coverage to include people younger than 65 and with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. The NHAS also plans on reducing HIV related disparities dealing with race/ethnicity and sexual orientation for people with HIV.

MD, Baligh, Yehia. MD, Ian, Frank. (2011). “Battling AIDS in America: An Evaluation of the National Strategy”. American Journal of Public Health. Pages 1-10. DOI: 101: 4-8 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300259. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0be4295-115d-440b-b722-6c46f4e31688%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=113> .

“Improving HIV/AIDS care through treatment advocacy:  going beyond client education to empowerment by facilitating client- provider relationships” .

The authors Matt G. Mutchler , Glenn Wagner, Tara McKay and Bogart M. Lauren claim that treatment advocacy programs have been implemented by AIDS service organizations and primary care clinics across America. The authors describe that these programs help engage patients with HIV into care and support antiretroviral therapy. The Treatment Advocacy (TA) aims to educate people and provide counseling regarding HIV.  The authors studied how TA helps people engage in HIV care. They conducted interviews on clients living with HIV recruited from the HIV/AIDS Project in Los Angeles, clients of different race/ethnicity and gender. Their data shows that TA goes beyond traditional education and provides a safe place for clients to discuss diagnosis and other health issues in a more comprehensive way and better health care services.

Mutchler,  G. Matt, Wagner Glenn, McKay Tara, Bogart M. Lauren.  (2001). “Improving HIV/AIDS care through treatment advocacy: going beyond client education to empowerment by facilitating client-provider relationships” . AIDS Care, Routledge.  Pages  79-90. DOI:10.1080/09540120.2010.496847.

<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0be4295-115d-440b-b722-6c46f4e31688%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=113> .

“Number of people living with HIV by region and proportion around the world.” Pie chart. Global HIV/ AIDS Response. www.avert.org. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.avert.org/worldstatisticsinformation.htm>

This chart shows that the majority of people living with HIV are in low and middle income countries by region in 2010. The largest population of infected people are in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is two-thirds of the world's population, or 68 percent. The second highest is in East, South and South-East Asia, this is 4.1 million people, or 12 percent. North America contains 1.5 million, or 4.5 percent. Eastern Europe and Central Asia, also Central and South America account for 1.4 million people of the world's population, or 4.5 percent. This image answers my question "Which country has the largest population of people infected with HIV and AIDS?". I know now that the largest percentage of the people reside in Africa.

Research Memo #1

Title: HIV and AIDS

Hypothesis: Many people do not know how severe and dangerous HIV and AIDS can be to an individual. Not only a single person, but also to their loved ones. People often think badly about victims with this virus because they make their own assumptions on how they got the disease. However, there are some cases in which the victims had no control over it. Many people inherit HIV or AIDS at birth. My hypothesis is that most people barely know what HIV and AIDS really are. Therefore, I ask, how much information do people really know about HIV and AIDS? My hypothesis is that most people barely know what HIV and AIDS really are.

Context: For my research, I passed out surveys to people between the age group of 14-60. I chose these respondents because HIV and AIDS affect people of all ages. My results were reliable and valid because my respondents understood my survey and its questions fully. They had no questions or had to make any corrections to my survey. My data was not biased or skewed because I did not try to persuade anyone to agree with my viewpoints or beliefs. However, I did have to change some of my questions before I handed out my survey, because my questions were not specific enough at the beginning. For example, on question seven, at first, I asked “HIV and AIDS are most common amongst which race?”, and then I left a blank for the respondents to put their response. Later, I went back and added some multiple choice answers to go along with the question.

.Results:

Question 1	Do any of your friends or family members have HIV or AIDS?	50% said yes	50% said no
Question 2	What percentage of the world’s population is infected with HIV or AIDS?	70% said 25- 34 million	10% said 50 million	20% said other
Question 3	Do you think the government should spend more money on finding a cure for HIV or AIDS?	100% said yes because it is a devastating issue on the rise.	0 % said no
Question 4	If you answered yes to question 3, how much money do you think the government should spend on finding a cure for HIV or AIDS?	40% said 2-55 million dollars	20% said 500 million-1 billion dollars	40 % said “Whatever amount of money is needed” or “enough money to find a cure”.
Question 5	On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest, 10 being the highest) how severe do you think the effects of HIV and AIDS are on the human body?	60% said 10	20% said 9	20% said 8
Question 6	Which of the following are symptoms of HIV and AIDS? (Check all that apply). -Vomiting/stomach problems -Dizziness -Coughing/sore throat -Headaches -Muscle soreness -Weight loss	60% checked all	30% checked more than half	10% checked less than half
Question 7	HIV and AIDS are most common amongst which race?	60% said African	30% said African Americans	10% said Hispanics
Question 8	Do you think HIV and AIDS are most common in males or females?	70% said females	30% said males
Question 9	Which age group has the largest population of people with HIV and AIDS?	80% said ages 20-30	20% said ages 30-40
Question 10	Do you agree that the treatment for HIV and AIDS has improved over the years?	90% said agree	10% said disagree

 Data Analysis: After my surveys were completed, I found that the strongest responses were questions 3, 5, 9, and 10.  In question 3, 100% of the respondents said that the government should spend more money on finding a cure for HIV and AIDS. In question 5, the respondents said… In question 9, 80% said age group with the largest population of HIV and AIDS is ages 20-30. In question 10, 90% of the respondents agree that the treatment for HIV and AIDS has improved over the years. Some responses that where a little strong were questions 2, 7, and 8. In question 2, 70% said 25-34 million people in the world are infected with HIV and AIDS.  In question 7, 60% said HIV and AIDS are most common amongst Africans. In question 8, 70% said that HIV and AIDS are most common amongst females. The least strong response was question 1. In question 1, only 50% of the respondents do not know someone with HIV and AIDS. After analyzing all my data, I think the respondents answered the way they did because they now know that HIV and AIDS are a serious and deadly disease.

Conclusion: I sent out these surveys to find out how much people really know about HIV and AIDS. I thought people would not know much information on the virus, but in the end, I was really surprised with my results. The respondents knew more than I had expected. I was very impressed. I was pleased to discover that people agree that HIV and AIDS are a very important issue and it is spreading rapidly.

Follow Up: Although there is treatment for HIV and AIDs, there is no cure. As I continue my research, I want to really explore the different types of HIV and AIDS treatment and has it helped more and more people over the years.