Health Promotion Plan: HIV & AIDS Trends and U.S. Statistics Overview

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Health Promotion Plan: HIV & AIDS Trends and U.S. Statistics Overview

Table of Contents

Best Practices of Prevention
Affected Groups by HIV
Contact with Community Members
Conclusion
References

In general, one of the most concerning healthcare problems in the US and the world is the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The stable number of people with HIV infection in the US will be the unit of the analysis. In general, the number of new infections decreased by 8%, from 37,800 in 2015 to 34,800 in 2019 (HIV.gov, 2022). However, Mercer county is one of the most affected communities in New Jersey (State of New Jersey Department of Health, 2021). This virus is usually transmitted through sex and sharing syringes and other drug-consumption equipment. The important aspect is that HIV affects the most marginalized groups: gay men and African Americans (HIV, 2020). In fact, better practices and policies to prevent the spread of viruses may completely change the status quo. This paper is devoted to planning a clinical learning experience focused on preventing public health crises associated with HIV.

Best Practices of Prevention

The academic community reached the consensus that harm reduction policies and the provision of better access to healthcare are the best options to prevent the spread of HIV infection. Harm reduction has gained popularity only recently, especially under the active movement of liberal scholars. It is a pragmatic approach to reduce the negative consequences of drug use implemented with the active partnership of users (Owczarzak et al., 2020). The common strategies include needle and syringe programs, HIV testing, safe injection facilities, opioid substitution treatment, and many other similar strategies (Kluczewska & Korneev, 2021). Given the possibility of increased HIV transmission, some policymakers have decided to use a harm reduction approach instead of the classical prohibitionist approach. The reason is that such a humanistic approach as harm reduction may involve the participation of real drug users in creating policies.

Affected Groups by HIV

As was already said, African Americans and gay men are the most affected groups by HIV infection in the US. It may be explained by the intersectional stigma, which involves political, economic, and social discrimination (Nydegger & Hill, 2020). In the scholarly discourse, such problems are designated as determinants of health. To solve these issues, communities should elaborate targeted interventions, such as affirmative action. For example, local decision-makers may elaborate special programs to disseminate clear syringes among drug users to reduce the possibility of HIV transmission significantly. It is important to implement such programs because HIV is a preventable disease. With a careful approach to vulnerable people, policymakers may significantly reduce the number of deaths because of HIV.

Contact with Community Members

The best evidence-based practices in healthcare practices should incorporate contextual knowledge. The involvement of people who will receive future healthcare aid may help eliminate possible inefficiencies and bureaucratic complexities. Although for some people, HIV is quite a sensitive topic for discussion, the freedom of expression and full-fledged democracy in the US allows professionals to have a large representation of participants. The reason is that in many autocratic countries, the promotion of harm reduction policies is hindered by repressions targeted at drug users and unwillingness to address sensitive problems (Kluczewska & Korneev, 2021). The selection procedure was guided by the goal of finding people who experience marginalization and have a higher vulnerability to being affected by HIV infection.

Considering possible participants near Mercer county, New Jersey, one of the most applicable facilities is Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton. This center maximizes internal collaboration with the service providers to foster qualitative HIV prevention (HIV prevention, n.d.). For example, it has a special program for HIV and Hepatitis C treatment. In addition, the facilitys mission is to promote self-determination in the local community (HIV prevention, n.d.). The goal of this health-promotion plan corresponds to the mission of the Henry J. Austin Health Center. Besides, it was evident that the center would welcome professional and motivated help from volunteering groups to understand the situation on the ground better.

Thus, I contacted this center and scheduled a meeting to present the desire to document the personal experiences of vulnerable patients. The agreed-upon health goal was to understand the desires, expectations, and fear of people with a higher probability of being infected by HIV. This contact should be framed through the perspective of modern scholarship on harm reduction policies. As noted, many harm reduction tools exist, so it is necessary to find a combination of those that will be popular among vulnerable groups. Such collaboration will benefit many sides, including community members, public authorities, Henry J. Austin Health Center, and people at risk of HIV infection.

Conclusion

To conclude, the human immunodeficiency virus is a major healthcare issue in the US. Even the relatively low number of deaths and the satisfactory functioning of current policies do not mean that the community should abandon the study of contextual issues. The problem is that Mercer county has some tangible problems with a high rate of HIV infections. This health promotion plan discussed the basic principles of the harm reduction approach, one of the most acknowledged scholarships on HIV prevention. For this purpose, the collaboration with Henry J. Austin Health Center was established. It agreed to schedule the meeting and discuss how the cooperation may be organized around the goal to document on the ground experience of people at risk.

References

HIV. (2020). Healthy People 2020. Web.

HIV.gov. (2022). HIV & AIDS trends and U.S. statistics overview. Web.

HIV prevention, counseling, testing & referral. (n.d.) Henry J. Austin Health Center. Web.

Kluczewska, K., & Korneev, O. (2021). Policy translation in global health governance: Localising harm reduction in Tajikistan. Global Social Policy, 21(1), 75-95. Web.

Nydegger, L. A., & Hill, M. J. (2020). Examining COVID-19 and HIV: The impact of intersectional stigma on short-and long-term health outcomes among African Americans. International Social Work, 63(5), 655-659. Web.

Owczarzak, J., Weicker, N., Urquhart, G., Morris, M., Park, J. N., & Sherman, S. G. (2020). We know the streets: race, place, and the politics of harm reduction. Health & Place, 64, 1-8. Web.

State of New Jersey Department of Health. (2021). County and municipal HIV/AIDS statistics, 2021. Web.

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