Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus - Essay Example

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS Aschengrau and Seage define epidemiology as "The study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in human populations and the application of this study to control health problems" (p. 6). The issue of health has attracted a lot of discussions and debates over the recent past in regard to how particular diseases can be averted. This paper applies the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to HIV/AIDS. Description of HIV/AIDS Cause According to Mayer and Pizer (2004), methodical studies conducted in the past elucidated the fact that there are two viruses that can cause HIV/AIDS. These viruses are HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-2 virus is mostly found in Africa particularly West Africa, while HIV-1 is the major cause of HIV/AIDS basically in all regions of the world. These viruses attack the immune system and they have the capacity to become part of the human DNA. Symptoms There are many indications of HIV/AIDS. it is important to assert the fact that the signs or indications of this disease are analogous to the signs or indications of a range of other common diseases that affect human beings. However, the signs and indications of HIV/AIDS are prolonged and more rigorous as compared to those of other common disease. Signs that are prevalent at the initial stages of the disease include high fever, lilac or lavender blemishes or spots on the skin, wound and abscesses that fail to heal when medicated, long lasting weariness and fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, fast or swift loss of weight, sore or broad whitish looking glaze in the orifice and anus, frequent or recurring flu and diarrhoea (Mayer and Pizer, 2004). Mode of transmission According to the World Health Organization (2014), there are a number of ways through which HIV/AIDS can be transmitted. These include all incidents that exposes the blood of an individual to that of an infected person through sex, through sharing needles and other prickly substances such as razor blades. This disease can also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn child if measures are not taken, and also through blood transfusion. Complications There are many complications of HIV/AIDS that are as a result of the abating of the immune system. This makes infected individuals prone to a range of other diseases or complications otherwise referred to as opportunistic ailments. One of the most common complication of HIV/AIDS include tuberculosis and is one of the major causes of death among those infected. Other complications include bacterial infections such as salmonellosis, candidiasis, cryptococcal menengitis, cancers, wasting syndrome, kidney infections, depression, and difficulties in walking (Mayer and Pizer, 2004). Treatment Treatment is only suggested when the CD4 count plunges to less than 350 regardless of the fact that signs are present or not. Infected individuals are treated using antiretroviral drugs or medicines. Patients are also put under a mixture of antiretroviral drugs based on the fact that the HIV virus is known to acclimatize themselves to particular drugs and hence become defiant or oppose the drug. There is no known cure for this disease, therefore patients are put under antiretroviral medication for the rest of their lives (WHO, 2014). Demography of HIV/AIDS According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2014), approximately seventy five million individuals have been contaminate with the HIV virus since the disease from the time the disease was identified. Subsequently, approximately thirty six million individuals have succumbed to this disease. Towards the end of 2012, there were approximately thirty five million three hundred thousand individuals living with the HIV virus all over the world. Majority of these individuals are from the developing countries. The WHO (2014) delineates that the sub-Saharan Africa region is the most affected by the HIV scourge. Studies done over the recent past showed that seventy one percent of individuals living with the HIV virus are form the Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, approximately one in every twenty grown up individuals are infected by HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2014). Determinants of health in relation to HIV/AIDS In definition, determinants of health in this context denotes all the aspects associated to personal, shared/collective, financial, and environmental issues that determine the prevalence of a disease. It is of significance to posit that determinants of health impacts on individual capability or capacity to employ various techniques aimed at deterring HIV/AIDS, and also the capacity to search for, reimburse, and manage HIV/AIDS treatment (Mayer and Pizer, 2004). One of the determinants of health in relation to HIV/AIDS include the level of income and social status. Poverty has a direct link to the spread of HIV/AIDS. This is attributed to the fact that poverty may force individuals to engage in immoral activities such as prostitution hence exposing themselves to the risk of infection. Women are particularly affected by poverty as it lessens their decision making capacity within the society. This inability of women to make their own decisions in poverty stricken areas elevates the incidences of sexual activities and leads to the engagement of underage girls in sexual activities. This further increases the risk of infection. Subsequently, poverty worsens the effects associated with HIV/AIDS after infection (Mayer and Pizer, 2004). For instance, infected individuals are required to adopt proper nutrition behaviours and this may be affected by the lack of money to but nutritious foods. In addition, people in poor regions are always migrating to other regions in search of work and hence this increases the risk of spreading this disease. The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan African between 1985 and 2004 is a clear evidence that poverty contributes to the spread of this disease. According to Omideyi (n.d), an investigation conducted in Nigeria between 1985 and 1996 showed that a huge percentage of individuals in Nigeria are poor. In 1985, thirty eight percent of Nigerians were completely poor; in 1992, forty three percent were completely poor; and in 1996, forty seven percent were completely poor. Being poor in this context means that those individuals were earning less than one US dollar per day. Joseph and Nagmabadi (2006) elucidate the fact that the number of people infected with HIV rose from one million in 1985 to twenty five million in 2004. This clearly shows the relationship between poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS. Other determinants of disease in relation to HIV/AIDS include level of education, social and physical environment, cultural norms and traditions, gender, and health care delivery systems. For instance, there is a lot of discrimination in Sub-Saharan Africa associated with HIV/AIDS. This affects the ability of infected individuals from accessing medical treatment, as well as accessing support groups. Availability of efficient health care delivery systems ensures that the disease is identified early enough and hence infected individuals are put under medication before full blown AIDS sets in (Mayer and Pizer, 2004). Role of community health nurse Mayer and Pizer (2004) asserts that the role of nurses in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of HIV/AIDS commence prior to identification of the disease through educating the community on how to prevent themselves from infection. Nurses are involved in community advocacies such as encouraging community members to use condoms. At the disease identification stage, a community nurse is involved in offering care in regard to the management or control of signs and symptoms, and also counselling. Community nurses also provide caring services to infected individuals or patients in their homes and do follow up. Nurses are regarded as the primary care givers for those infected with HIV/AIDS. Community nurses goes beyond the four walls of the health institution into the community to identify infected individuals in a bid to help them manage the disease. In definition, case finding is identifying HIV/AIDS cases either within the health institution or within the community in general. Community nurses are also involved in community outreach programmes whereby they offer free Voluntary Counselling and Testing services (Aschengrau and Seage, 2013). This helps identify those infected and hence they are given the appropriate advice. Once the community nurse identifies HIV/AIDS cases, s/he is required by law to report the cases to the relevant authorities such as the local or state health departments. A community nurse also collects all HIV related data, analyses it, and then reports to the relevant authorities (Mayer and Pizer, 2004). It is important to posit that this reporting is done in a private and confidential manner. Any information relating to a patients HIV status should only be shared with third parties only with the consent of the patient. A community nurse may however release such information if required by a court of law to do so. Reporting is important as it is the basis through which follow-up strategies and procedures are formulated (Aschengrau and Seage, 2013). Agency One of the International organizations or agencies involved in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic is the World Health Organization. One off the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) proposed by the WHO is to combat HIV/AIDS and other communicable disease. The WHO has been involved in strategies or plans of action aimed at addressing the misconception and stereotypes associated with this disease. WHO has been involved in addressing forced sex, violence against women, gender inequality, and also education for all. Such strategies are geared toward empowering people to combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases (WHO, 2014). Conclusion HIV/AIDS is caused by two viruses namely HIV-1 and HIV-2. It is transmitted through exposing or contacting blood of an infected person to that of a healthy person. Some of the symptoms include rapid loss of weight, wounds, abscesses, diarrhoea, high fever, and purplish blemishes or spots on the skin. Treatment include antiretroviral medication. At the end of 2012, approximately thirty five million, three hundred thousand individuals were living the virus globally. Approximately seventy five million have been contaminated since the virus was identified, and nearly thirty six million people have succumbed to the disease. Some of the determinants of health in relation to HIV/AIDS include poverty, gender, physical environment, level off education, and health care systems. Community health nurses play an important role in diagnosing, caring, reporting, and advocacy in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and management. References Aschengrau, A., & Seage, G R. (2013). Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Joseph, S., & Nagmabadi, A. (2006). Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures: Family, Body, Sexuality and Health. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. Mayer, K. H., & Pizer, H. F. (2004). The AIDS Pandemic: Impact on Science and Society. San Diego, CA: Elsevier. Omideyi, A. K. (n.d). Poverty and Development in Nigeria: Trailing the MDGs?. African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1(1) : 3-17. World Health Organization. (2014). HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/gho/hiv/en/ Read More