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:
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Question 1
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Do any of your friends or family members have HIV or AIDS?
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50% said yes
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50% said no
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|
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Question 2
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What percentage of the world’s population is infected with HIV or
AIDS?
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70% said 25- 34 million
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10% said 50 million
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20% said other
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Question 3
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Do you think the government should spend more money on finding a cure
for HIV or AIDS?
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100% said yes because it is a devastating issue on the rise.
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0 % said no
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|
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Question 4
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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?
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40% said 2-55 million dollars
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20% said 500 million-1 billion dollars
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40 % said “Whatever amount of money is needed” or “enough money to
find a cure”.
|
|
Question 5
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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?
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60% said 10
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20% said 9
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20% said 8
|
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Question 6
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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
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60% checked all
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30% checked more than half
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10% checked less than half
|
|
Question 7
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HIV and AIDS are most common amongst which race?
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60% said African
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30% said African Americans
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10% said
Hispanics
|
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Question 8
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Do you think HIV and AIDS are most common in males or females?
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70% said females
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30% said males
|
|
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Question 9
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Which age group has the largest population of people with HIV and
AIDS?
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80% said ages 20-30
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20% said ages 30-40
|
|
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Question 10
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Do you agree that the treatment for HIV and AIDS has improved over
the years?
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90% said agree
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10% said disagree
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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.
