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HIV & AIDS Among African-Americans in the United States
Introduction
The African Americans are also referred to as Afro- Americans. In earlier times, they used to be known as Negroes or the Black Americans. Studies prove that this group of people who are also part of the citizens of the United States is composed of people who have some partial ancestral links with the native people of sub-Saharan Africa (Sanneh, 2011). Emeka and Vallejo (2011) revealed in their study that there are also some people who have migrated from Africa, central and southern America and the Caribbean who still call themselves black Americans. Studies prove that the African Americans history started when African slaves were forcefully moved to North America to offer slave labor during the dark historical ages when they were highly demanded.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that HIV/AIDS is a life threatening health problem which is caused by infection of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The disease destroys the human bodys ability to fight infections by incapacitating the entire immune system. The HIV virus is transmitted through myriad of ways. For instance, during birth and breastfeeding, the mother can infect the baby. The virus is also passed on during unprotected sexual intercourse with a victim and by contact with fresh blood which has been infected (Mansergh et al., 2012). This paper embarks on a concise focus and discussion of the most well known and feared health calamity in human history. Hampton (2011) notes that HIV/AIDS has been the most terrific immune suppressing infection that has invaded the human race. The paper begins with a detailed synopsis that describes the target group namely the African Americans, followed by highlighting factors that lead to the propagation of the disease as well as the major features of the disease. The paper concludes with recommendations, strategies and interventions that have been put in place to minimize the devastating health effects of the virus especially with cross reference to the African-American population.
The target population
The African Americans occupy a relatively large part of the population on both urban and rural areas of the United States. Hampton (2011) points out that this group of American citizens makes up the largest percentage of the minorities of the United States population. The largest part of the African Americans is known to have originated from central and West Africa. The segment of this population also includes those who are descendants of African slaves who were enslaved into the territory of the current United States of America (Castillo et al., 2012).
Needless to say, the African American community has been developing into a distinctive society which is quite remarkable as a significant face of America. Research studies on this target population point out that the African Americans have increased remarkably in this nation. Their number amounts to more than ten percentage of the total population of the United States (Castillo et al., 2012). This group of citizens is not evenly distributed in the nation but it evident that there are black Americans in nearly all cities of the United States. From a careful review of literature, it is evident that more than fifty percentages of African Americans have residence in metropolitan parts of the United States. For instance, New York City is characterized with the largest black American population with an overall of twenty eight percent of African Americans (Hampton, 2011). It is expected that in the future there will be cities which will have over ninety percent black American in terms of population. This group of people has continued to enjoy economic stability, educational advancement coupled with empowerment since the slavery era has significantly declined in the United States.
One of the major social features of the African Americans is the formation of neighborhoods for their residence. These residential areas called ghettos represent their acceptance of African American authenticity. Due to poverty, most African American ghettos are mostly identified with moral degradation, crime, pervasive and extreme ways of earning a living. Mitchell and Knowlton (2012) describe the lifestyle of the African Americans as a race that gives all people, the young and the aged equal chances to achieve. Research evidence notes that black Americans living in the common urban areas among other people have more settled life as compared to the habitants of the black ghettos (Hampton, 2011). A sizeable number of the black Americans live in these neighborhoods and have optimal challenges both economically and education wise. Generally, they have poor living standards (Shuval et al., 2012).
The Health issue: HIV/AIDS
Statistics have recently proved that HIV/ AIDS is a major problem among African Americans (Herbst et al., 2012). There are over fifty thousand infections of HIV recorded every year. The number of people living with this virus continues to grow each year. It has been noted that the AIDS epidemic has continued to spread due to wrong perception by this target population (Herbst et al., 2012). In addition, AIDS has evolved greatly since the first case of AIDS was reported. Carbaugh (2012) explains that the disease has moved from the initial stages where victims used to die from the primary infection to medical levels where receivers of organs during transplantation have become a high risk group. The victims of AIDS are usually attacked by other opportunistic pathogens. Medical researchers have found out that the informative efforts of the government to warn people that AIDS has no cure have come to fruition. People are becoming more aware of the scourge (Laura & Sheryl, 2005).
There are several factors which influence the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS. Cabaugh (2012) highlights that these factors include poverty, extreme modern culture that encourages high sexual activity, unemployment, lack of economic empowerment as well as moral degradation. New lifestyles have emerged that is characterized with a digital culture which is saturated by recklessness and lack of accountability.
The African Americans and HIV//AIDS
There are several factors which have created a ground for rampant spread of HIV/AIDS among the African-American fraternity within the metropolitan areas of the United States. For instance, the social life in black American neighborhoods has loose social values such as early sexual activities which have led to the spread of HIV/AIDS virus (Castillo et al., 2012). The young and youthful black American population is known to be a highly sexually active group that is largely ignorant of health risks of reckless sexual behavior. Modernization, the use of drugs and urban culture has also necessitated the rapid spread of HIV/ AIDS. The black culture has also caused desperation. Many male and female black American youngsters have been opened into the sting of AIDS as they engage in immoral activities like prostitution to earn a living. Needless to say, the high level of homosexuality and intravenous drug use has also led to intensive increase in cases of AIDS (Castillo et al., 2012).
Strategies and interventions taken to curb the scourge
The government has already initiated different programs and intervention measures to tackle the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS within the areas dominated by African-American ghettos. Efforts of educating citizens who live in the low profile areas have been prioritized (Fernández & Ruiz, 2006). Different non-governmental organizations have also teamed up to ensure that public awareness among this target population has been achieved. Castillo et al. (2012) propose that preventive intervention is the most effective way that can be used to rescue the African-Americans living in ghettos and also affected by the scourge. There is a general approach across the nation of campaigning for sexual abstinence among those who are note married. The married people are being urged to remain faithful to their spouses. This is the message being passed across all black American residential areas by the use of small group seminars and billboards.
Studies have proven that the most effective way to curb HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections is by making sure that citizens engage in protected sexual activity. Owens (2012) adds that people who have multiple sexual partners need to be taught the importance of using condoms. There is a nation wide program that has been started especially among black Americans to run a condom issuing drive. The population is also being taught the need of using these life savers as they have been branded in the black American ghetto slang. Current evaluation reveals that the concentrated effort is ensuring that every United States citizen is empowered (Castillo et al., 2012).
Recommendations and conclusions
Carbaugh (2012) plays a key role in proposing policy plans of tackling HIV/AIDS problem which is taking the lives of many African-Americans. It is recommended that to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, the general black American community should be made more economically empowered. This can be achieved by providing quality education to all black American groups living in all the cities of the United States (Owen, 2012). This group of citizens which is adversely affected by the disease should be made to appreciate the importance of cultural stability. The Negroes living in poverty should be assisted to afford medium living standards by the establishment of affordable residential houses. In addition, the government should also subsidize all essential services to the marginalized black Americans. Research findings reveal that the current victims of HIV/AIDS among this group of citizens need more post exposure care and prophylaxis (Carbaugh, 2012). The ministry of health needs a wake up call to remind it of the AIDS problem among the Negroes which has been put at bay in the list of national disasters.
On a final note, it is worth reiterating that the African-Americans have a lifestyle that promotes the spread of HIV/AIDS. This ideally happens in an unnoticed manner which can only be understood if keen attention is paid to the high prevalence rate of the infection among this target group. Their problem needs to be brought into light and this can only happen if there is public admittance of the health challenge. People need to stop denying that African Americans have become a high risk population due to their special culture. Moreover, it is also imperative to mention that this target population may continue to be at high risk of contracting the virus if the current etiological factors are not addressed with speed.
References
Carbaugh, K. (2012). Shortages and Strategies: ANACs Role in the Development of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 23(1), 9-14.
Castillo, J. et al. (2012). Differences in Sexual Risk Behavior and HIV/AIDS Risk Factors Among Foreign-Born and US-Born Hispanic Women. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 14(1), 89-99.
Emeka, A., & Vallejo, J. (2011). Non-Hispanics with Latin American ancestry: Assimilation, race, and identity among Latin American descendants in the US. Social Science Research, 40(6), 15-47.
Fernández, F. & Ruiz, P. (2006). Psychiatric Aspects of HIV/Aids. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.
Hampton, T. (2011). Policy Paper Highlights Concerns About the Future of HIV Care and Its Funding. JAMA, 306(23), 25-51.
Herbst, J. et al. (2012). Operational Research to Improve HIV Prevention in the United States. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 59(5), 530-547.
Laura, M. B. & Sheryl, T. (2005). Are HIV/AIDS Conspiracy Beliefs a Barrier to HIV Prevention Among African Americans? JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 38(2): 213-218.
Mansergh, G. et al. (2012). Aligning Resources to Fight HIV/AIDS in the United States: Funding to States Through the US Department of Health and Human Services. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 59(5), 5-16.
Mitchell, M., & Knowlton, A. (2012). Caregiver Role Overload and Network Support in a Sample of Predominantly Low-Income, African-American Caregivers of Persons
Living with HIV/AIDS: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis. AIDS and Behavior, 16(2), 278-87.
Owens, A. (2012). The Affordable Care Act: Implications for African Americans Living with HIV. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 22(3), 319.
Sanneh, L. (2011). In Search of Brightest Africa: Reimagining the Dark Continent in American Culture. The Journal of American History, 98(3), 858-859.
Shuval, K. et al. (2012). I Live by Shooting Hill -A Qualitative Exploration of Conflict and Violence among Urban Youth in New Haven, Connecticut. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 23(1), 132-143
Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
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