The AIDS epidemic in America: statistics, transmission, and disparities

AIDS in America

AIDS is a devastating disease that has ravaged our world over the past twenty years. The issue of AIDS in America is one of much debate that continues to challenge the medical community. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the epidemic of AIDS in America. Our research will provide an in depth analysis of the most infected portion of our society and the tactics that are being implemented to stop the disease from spreading. Let's begin our discussion by defining the disease known as AIDS.

Definition of AIDS

According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine,

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It was first recognized in the United States in 1981. AIDS is the advanced form of infection with the HIV virus, which may not cause disease for a long period after the initial exposure (latency). Infection with HIV weakens the immune system which makes infected persons susceptible to infection and cancer." (Rowland 1996)

The article goes on to explain that AIDS can be transmitted in several different ways, which include; needle sticks among healthcare workers, sexual contact, transmission during pregnancy and through exposure to contaminated blood. (Rowland 1996) The disease usually attacks the body in one of three ways; autoimmunity, nervous system dysfunction and immunodeficiency. Autoimmunity causes the body to produce antibodies that work against the body's own cells. Nervous system dysfunction causes AIDS related dementia in patients. Immunodeficiency makes AIDS patients more susceptible to several illnesses including herpes and cancer. (Rowland 1996)

American AIDS Statistics

The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of Americans currently living with AIDS is around 400,000. The CDC also concedes that there are approximately 200,000 individuals that were diagnosed with AIDS in 2002 and about 80,000 AIDS deaths in the United States in the year 2002. The CDC also reports the following about the status of AIDS in America,

Since the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) became widespread during 1996, trends in AIDS incidence have become less reflective of underlying trends in HIV transmission. AIDS incidence increased throughout the 1980s, declined from the mid-1990s through 2001, and increased 2% in 2002 (compared with 2001). The number of deaths among persons with AIDS continued to decline. During 1998-2002, the estimated number of deaths among persons with AIDS declined 14%. AIDS prevalence (i.e., the number of persons living with AIDS) continued to increase." (The HIV / AIDS Surveillance Report 2002)

AIDS prevention in America

One of the most common ways to prevent the spread of AIDS is through education. People must be educated about the risk factors associated with the spread of the disease and be taught to avoid these factors. These educational programs can be found in public schools and colleges throughout the country. These programs instruct students on how to protect themselves and the importance of condom use and the benefits of abstinence.

Experts hope that this type of intervention will cause young people to consider the consequences of their actions. They hope that these programs will encourage students to make better choices concerning risky behaviors that can lead to HIV / AIDS infection. Professionals also believe that these young people will take the information back to their communities and influence others to protect themselves against the disease.

Another important step is AIDS prevention is the concept of HIV testing. It is believed that when people are aware that they are infected with the disease they will make a more concerted effort to protect others from the disease. According to the CDC,

Most people who find out that they are HIV-positive reduce their sexual and drug-use behaviors... While the number of existing, effective interventions is limited, a recent review examined the correlates of sexual risk among HIV-positive persons. This article provides some guidance for agencies developing programs by highlighting what is known to be and not to be associated with sexual risk among HIV-positive persons. In addition, it is likely (but not known) that existing interventions for HIV-negative persons could be adapted for HIV-positive populations. Messages in adapted interventions should reflect the needs of HIV-positive persons to protect their partners as well as themselves." (Prevention Interventions with Persons Living with HIV 2003)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention insists that HIV tests should be given to any individual that request one and that HIV testing should be a standard practice for individuals and communities where there are a high percentage of people with HIV / AIDS. The CDC explains,

HIV screening in high prevalence settings makes sense because testing solely on the basis of risks fails to identify many HIV-infected persons. Persons with AIDS make multiple visits to hospitals, acute care clinics, and managed-care organizations before their AIDS diagnosis, but are never tested for HIV. Many providers are uncomfortable discussing risk behavior with their patients, and many persons may be unaware of, or do not disclose, their own or their partner's risk behaviors. Routine voluntary HIV screening presents an opportunity to reduce the stigma related to HIV testing. Patients are not offended when testing is presented as a policy that applies to all patients because they do not feel singled out as "at-risk." More patients accept HIV testing when it is offered routinely than when it is based upon risk assessments. (Routinely Recommended HIV Testing as Part of Regular Medical Care Services 2003)

Conclusion

The purpose of this discussion was to examine the epidemic of Aids in America. We found that AIDS was first discovered by American doctors in 1981 and that the disease causes the immune system to deteriorate, making the individual susceptible to many different ailments. We also found that advances in medicine can now slow the progress of the disease. Our investigation also provided vital statistics concerning the amount of new infections, the amount of people living with AIDS and the number of people that died from the disease in 2002.

Our research also provided an in depth analysis of the most infected portion of our society and the tactics that are being implemented to stop the disease from spreading. We found that the African-American community makes up a disproportionate amount of new HIV cases. Our investigation concluded that the stigma attached to homosexuality in the African-American community is a prime reason for the spread of the disease. In addition, we found that educational programs are being used in public schools and colleges to encourage students to protect themselves. Finally, we found that HIV testing in certain communities may prove effective in decreasing the amount of HIV / AIDS cases.