Free Essay

Women Living Hiv

In: Other Topics

Submitted By deljones54
Words 838
Pages 4
Contemporary Problems
Women Living With HIV/AIDS
HSM/210 Human Services in the United States
Delthea Taylor-Jones
March 10th, 2013

Over 300,000 women were infected with H.I.V. as of the year 2011. (www.apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.22300, 2013) Though a staggering statistic, these strong women are trying to pave a way of life into mainstream society. The vast majority of these women are someone’s mother, daughter, or sister that is focused on living a long normal life with an often deadly disease. Why are women the most infected with H.I.V. in any certain region that engulfed with the disease? Today nearly 60% of all adults living with HIV in the most affected regions are women. These statistics are astounding and as a country there needs to be an intense sense of urgency with this matter. In order to increase the response to the epidemic we need to make our response more effective, we need more women in decision-making, more access to information and services for sexual and reproductive health, and more focus on promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls. These women need to know that they are precious jewels of society and their knowledge and first-hand experience with the disease would prove to be vital in our fight to save thousands of lives of those future mothers of our earth. It has been said that every minute, another woman gets infected with H.I.V. and the infection rates in women ages 15-24 are twice as high as young men in the same age range. This statistic highlights the negative impact that H.I.V. has on women. Women need to be provided with better sex educational tools so they can be better informed. With increased information and better awareness, lives will definitely be saved from being infected with H.I.V. in the long run. With roughly 25 percent of people living with HIV infection in the United States being women, it can be hard for women to prevent HIV or to take care of themselves if they are infected with the disease. There are programs available that assist women with H.I.V. and these programs help them find homes and give them important information on treatment and provide them with condoms. The important factor to remember is that these women are given condoms to halt the spread of the disease. If women infected with H.I.V. are to lead as normal of a life as possible, then it is expected for them to be sexually active. Trying to take away that part of a woman is similar to taking away her livelihood. A woman who is living with H.I.V. is facing a ton of different problems, as opposed to a man who is living with the infection. Women face tough decisions as far as pregnancy and many other different vaginal infections which could compromise an already decimated immune system that is struggling with the H.I.V. infection. The tough decision to take a chance and bring a child in this world when the woman is already infected with the disease could prove to be a gut wrenching ordeal. No one would want to bring a child into this world, knowing that there is a chance that the child could live a life infected with H.I.V. Imagine the psychological effect that a conversation of child-bearing would have on a couple’s relationship. There will definitely be more problems than not. Women also have to be concerned with the insane criminals in society that feel they have to take sex from a woman, whenever and wherever they can. These rapists are sometimes infected with the disease and women are at risk of being raped on a daily basis, in this world we live in today. The average man doesn’t have to worry about getting sexually abused or raped the way it is a major concern for a woman. Improving gender equalities between the sexes will go a long way to help women with combating the disease. The lack of economic empowerment is rendering women more vulnerable to acquiring HIV through sexual transmission. Ultimately, improving women’s social and economic status and enhancing their decision making power reduces the risk of HIV infection. It is widely viewed that a woman of a higher social status will be more informed of the H.I.V. epidemic and therefore will make a more intelligent decision that could save her life. Empowerment is one of the keys to the lock of gender inequality in today’s society, and there will be plenty of informed and intelligent women leading the way to slow the rate of which H.I.V. is growing and allow women to live a healthier life.

References
Women’s Health, (2011) http://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-aids/women-are-at-risk-of-hiv/index.html,
Who Is It (2013) http://www.apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.22300

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Stroke

... +31 70 426 0799 Acknowledgements I give my sincere gratitude to Jehovah God for his love and care throughout my life and the fifteen months I have been here. With much honour I sincerely thank my Supervisor, Prof M.Grimm, truth be told it was a blessing to have a supervisor like him, I am short of words to describe him, I would simply say he has been tremendously wonderful. Always there for me and giving me feedback in less than I expect, all I can say is that, ‘thank you very much’. I am equally humbled and grateful to my reader Dr Bridget O’Laughlin for her guidance and wonderful suggestions which largely contributed to the progress of this paper. Thank you To the NZP+ women, I feel indebted to you for your wonderful...

Words: 19712 - Pages: 79

Premium Essay

Women and Hiv/Aids

...Women And HIV/AIDS in the United States Barbara Snyder HCS/455 October 22, 2013 Renee Skovira This summary will be focus on Women and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the U.S. What is HIV/AIDS, history since 1981 through 2010? Also, who are the stakeholders and how they are affected? In addition to this summary will examine what it is like living with HIV, statistics, according to The Kaiser Family Foundation there is a form of diagnostic testing, prevention care. HIV is a virus that once you have it, you will have it for life. HIV can be controlled with proper medications and medical care. A treatment for HIV is often called Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). HIV attacks specific cells in the immune system called CD4 cells, or T cells (Prevention C. F., 2013). HIV in the United States has been around for three decades. Women have been affected since then and heterosexuals transmission became known in the 1990’s. There are several ways to transmit this horrible disease with one being through drug use with needles, blood transfusions, and, of course, through multiple sexual encounters without protection. Women count for one in four of the more then one million people living with HIV in this country and one in five with new infections (Foundation, 2013). An estimated 1.1 million people are living with HIV in the U.S. It is a challenge living with HIV. “It is important that medications are taken as prescribed, as to when...

Words: 660 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Proposal Writting Hsm/220

...Women Solutions HSM/240 November 1, 2012 Women Solutions Women Solutions Women Solutions 600EastBoulevard 11/1/2012 Women Solutions 600EastBoulevard 248-259-3058 248-259-000 11/1/2012 Founder, Shirley Jones A proposal for seeking funding a non-profit organization that will provide transitional housing and support services for Woman infected with HIV/AIDS living in Detroit Founder, Shirley Jones A proposal for seeking funding a non-profit organization that will provide transitional housing and support services for Woman infected with HIV/AIDS living in Detroit Women Solutions non-profit organization 660 East Grand Boulevard 248-259-9999 ext-123 November 2, 2012 National HIV Housing Coalition | 727 15th St NW # 200  Washington, DC 20005 To Whom it Concerns,I Shirley Jones the founder of the non-profit organization Women Solutions organization is proposing a $1,865,000.00 grant to propose a partnership with CHAG to assist homelessness among HIV/AIDS infected women. Women Solutions organization recognize the social problem that is affecting the Detroit Michigan area. Women Solutions propose to provide transitional housing and emotional support for women infected with HIV/AIDS living in Detroit. I have chosen National HIV Housing Coalition to request assistance because Women Solutions organization shares the same goal in assisting with the housing stresses that HIV/AIDS infected person undergo. Women Solution organization...

Words: 3251 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Hiv Criminalisation

...September/November 2008 Patrick Eba One size punishes all… A critical appraisal of the criminalisation of HIV transmission Lauded by lawmakers as an expression of their strong will to ‘fight AIDS’, HIV-specific laws have become a ubiquitous feature of the legal response to HIV in sub-Saharan Africa1 As of 1st December 2008, twenty countries in ECOWAS Parliament, the West African Health Organisation sub-Saharan Africa had adopted HIV-specific laws.2 (WAHO), the Center for Studies and Research on HIV-specific laws or ‘omnibus HIV laws’, as they are Population for Development (CERPOD), the Network of sometimes ironically referred to, are legislative provisions Parliamentarians in Chad for Population and Development that regulate, in a single document, several aspects of HIV and the USAID West African Regional Programme.3 and The stated objective of these HIV-specific laws, as communication; HIV testing, prevention treatment, care provided under several of their preambulary provisions, and support; HIV-related research; and the protection of is to and AIDS, including HIV-related education people living with HIV. The emergence of HIV-specific …ensure that every person living with HIV or laws in sub-Saharan Africa can be traced to the adoption presumed to be living with HIV enjoys the full of the Model Law on STI/HIV/AIDS for West and Central protection of his or her human rights and freedoms.4 Africa in September...

Words: 44716 - Pages: 179

Free Essay

Hiv in Women

...Scholarly paper on HIV in women Student name: Institution: Introduction Relevant nursing issue Some of the questions that arise from women living with HIV are barrier to social services. It affects the livelihood of women; thus, they are unable to acquire some essential services. Another issue is that they have mental health problem; thus, they are placed at a higher risk for HIV infection. They also face stigmatization that is rooted in discrimination (Peninnah, 2013). Other issues that arise are limitation to children health care, misinformation regarding treatment options, lack of access to transportation, substance abuse in regard to treatment, and unstable housing. There are attempts that have been put to measure and understand one’s health status. The rules also incorporate the physical wellbeing, psychological status, and cognitive functioning (Deanna, 2013). The tests are referred to as Health-related quality of life (HRQoL). It is a way of knowing how individuals feel about their health. It is done from an interactive and interpretive point of view. It enables an empathetic understanding of daily life experience is different life settings. HRQoL also enhances the identification of the different race, gender, class and social positioning. It also considers social cultural and political forces. It has been knotted that, PLHIV...

Words: 2360 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Hiv Mandatory Testing for Pregnant Women

...HIV Mandatory Testing for Pregnant Women HIV is an important issue among the world, and it has attracted a lot of people’s attention. Besides, it also bring a lot of problems to the society. Nowadays, many people debate that should pregnant women take HIV mandatory testing. It means whether or not every female should take HIV mandatory testing when they are pregnant, and it is forced for them. Many people support that because they think taking HIV mandatory testing can reduce the rate of HIV infection for newborn, and many people disagree that because they think that would be disrespectful behavior for female’s privacy. In the book “HIV Testing and Counselling in Prisons and Other Closed Settings: Technical Paper”, the author stated “WHO [] estimates that only about 10 percent of persons living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries know their HIV status (WHO/UNAIDS, 2007). In many of these countries, access to HIV testing remains limited. Many high-income countries also estimate that a significant number of people living with HIV are not aware of their HIV status (OSI, 2007)”. It means that fewer people know their HIV condition, and they have low recognition to care about HIV. In addition, most people do not pay much attention to HIV problems in the society, and it would be a large risk for newborn HIV transmission. Faced with this condition, people would like to take some actions to release this terrible condition, and they want to find some methods to solve this problem...

Words: 734 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Impact of Hiv/Aids

...The impact of HIV/AIDS on women globally or in the United States University Of Maryland University College Section I: Introduction and Statement of Purpose The AIDS and HIV virus is an extremely perilous disease that sees no race, no caste, no color, no gender, no nationality, no background and not even a specific age. It can affect anyone, at any time. AIDS stands for what is called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The virus makes the body's immune system to break down and become in effective in fighting illness and bacteria. Contrary to popular belief, a person does not just become affected with the AIDS virus immediately. AIDS is basically caused by a pre virus called HIV, or human immunodeficiency syndrome. A substance in human body, known as the anti bodies, that fights infection in a person become infected once HIV is transferred into a human. The virus is most frequently transferred through bodily fluids and internationally majority of the infections occur through sex between men and women. AIDS basically results from heterosexual intercourse and so the age group which is a primarily affected by this disease is the one which is most sexually active, people from fifteen to fifty years of age. Moreover, there is a strong connection between TB and AIDS. Many individuals are affected with TB, without the disease being active. However, once the individual becomes infected with HIV, it causes the TB to become active which was once dormant. AIDS was initially recognized...

Words: 1837 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Hiv in African Americans

...Running head: AIDS/HIV IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY MBA 530 Community Health Evaluation/Epidemiology Dr. Patricia Pierce Latoya Blain 06/17/2012 AIDS/HIV in the African American Community Of all the ethnic and racial groups of the United States of America, the African Americans are the ones who have been to a larger extent faced with the HIV/AIDS burden. Statistics show that more than two hundred and thirty thousand African Americans have already passed on as a result of AIDS- a figure which represents 40% of the total deaths in the U.S. Besides, it is estimated that those living with HIV in the U.S. are more than one million, half of whom are blacks (NASTAD, 2005). The probability of having been infected with HIV/AIDS among the African Americans is one on every 16 (for the black males) and 1 in every 30 people (for the black women). Washington D.C. has the highest prevalence of HIV infection, at three percent; with 75% of the infected people being African Americans. The National HIV/AIDS Strategy has reported that African Americans form the greatest proportion of the many cases of HIV/AIDS in the various transmission sorts, including among women, injection drug users, infants and heterosexual men (The White House, 2010). From the above statistics, one may, therefore, wonder African Americans as affected by AIDS in such a disproportionate manner. Historically, it was back in the early 1980s...

Words: 2241 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Hiv in Black African American

...HIV in the African American Population HIV in the African American Population The year was 1981, and the first discovered cases of PCP, Pneumocystis Cabrini pneumonia was discovered in five young males who did not fit the norm for being diagnosed with this disease. In 1983, the isolation of a T lymph tropic retrovirus was found. In January 1983, the CDC reported a new disease which could be sexually transmitted both homosexually and heterosexual, passed from mother to infant, through blood and blood products. A note was made that the disease could also be passed from a negative host, who carried the disease asymptomatically. On February 7th, the world takes notice of the African American blacks and their relationship with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2006, blacks composed approximately 12% of the United States population over the age of 13. Out of that reported number it was estimated that 46% of them are living with HIV/AIDS. 63% of those cases were from between male to male cases, with 83% new cases being from high risk heterosexual black females. The numbers from the CDC report it is an estimated 12.3 per 10,000 blacks that are currently affected yearly. Of all the ethnic and racial groups of the United States of America, the African Americans are the ones who have been to a larger extent faced with the HIV/AIDS burden. Statistics show that more than two hundred and thirty thousand African Americans have already passed on as a result of AIDS- a figure which represents...

Words: 2772 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Benchmark Assignment: Hiv Epidemiology Paper

...Benchmark Assignment: HIV Epidemiology Paper Dawn Hickey-Johnson Grand Canyon University Benchmark Assignment: HIV Epidemiology Paper     “The global trends and adverse health impact of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, and TB remain among the major and urgent public health challenges of our time. These conditions account for substantial morbidity and mortality, with devastating fiscal and emotional costs to individuals, families, and societies. Despite decades of investment and support, the U.S. still experiences a disproportionate burden of these conditions compared with other Western industrialized nations, with substantial health disparities being observed across population subgroups and geographic regions.” (Hazel D. Dean, ScD, MPH Kevin A. Fenton, MD, PhD, 2010)     This paper will focus specifically on HIV/AIDS.  “    Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. ·         AIDS was first recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981 and its cause, HIV, identified in the early 1980s. ("STOP AIDS," 2009)     Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(AIDS) is a disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV attacks the  human immune system, and progressively reduces its effectiveness, leaving the host susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. Due to the extended incubation period, the time between being infected with the virus and the manifestation...

Words: 4429 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

Aids

...Chelsea Johnson Bio 111 Dr. Hall HIV AIDS in Southeastern U.S United States Statistics show that the AIDS epidemic began in 1981. Since then 1.7 million Americans have been infected with HIV. A number of 583,298 U.S. citizens have died due to AIDS-related causes. 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV and don’t even know it. An estimated 21% of people living with HIV are undiagnosed. AIDS spread so fast that every 9.5 minutes; someone in the U.S. is infected with HIV. The leading cause of the spreading disease is said to be gay and bisexual men. Gay and bisexual men continue to spread the HIV infection. They are accounted for an estimated 53% of new HIV infections. Also, African-Americans and Latinos are affected by HIV and AIDS as well. However, Blacks are accounted for 45% of new HIV infections in 2006. There is 47% of Black living with the disease and they make up only 12% of the U.S. population. Latinos account for 17% of new infections. They comprise 15% of the U.S. population. Whites represent 35% of new infections and account for 66% of the total population (HIV/AIDS Facts). The AIDS case rate for African Americans is more than 9 times that of whites. Also the HIV rate is 7 times greater among blacks than whites. Survival after an AIDS diagnosis is lower for blacks than any other racial/ethnic group. The largest share of any age group is young adults and teens between 13 and 29 that represent 34% of new HIV infections. Black teens that become affected represent...

Words: 1090 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Disparity of Healthcare for Aids/Hiv Patients

...| Disparity of Healthcare for AIDS/HIV Patients | Lana Iris English 12312/15/14 | Disparity of Healthcare with Patients with AIDS/HIV For the last thirty years AIDS/HIV has been a controversial topic, but more recently, the disease itself has not been controversial but the disparity in receiving proper care both in prevention modalities and active treatment for the disease. While the Obama administration has taken steps toward the elimination of these disparities through the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and Implementation Plan, there is still much work to be done. This brief highlights underexplored explanations for these disparities and outlines possible solutions to begin addressing them. Oftentimes, popular culture has offered unfortunately erroneous explanations for the stark racial disparate impact of HIV/ AIDS. The mass media, for example, has suggested that black men “on the down low” infect black women by secretly sleeping with male partners, acting as a bisexual “bridge” between gay and straight communities. But public health scholars have found little support for this theory. Many may assume that black people suffer from greater HIV prevalence because they are considered less sexually responsible than whites. Yet several studies have shown that black women and black men who have sex with men—the two groups most severely impacted by HIV/AIDS—have similar numbers of sexual partners and use condoms as often as their white counterparts. Thus, behavioral risk factors...

Words: 5868 - Pages: 24

Premium Essay

Hiv Positive Women in the Prison Environment

...Women are underrepresented in our correctional system even though they comprise a very small percentage in our correctional system. In the last decade we have seen a higher number of women being sentenced to prison. Women commit crime and are incarcerated under different circumstances and reasons than men. Their criminal behavior can be attributed to drug abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse and poverty. Women who are admitted into prison facilities are disadvantaged from the very beginning; prisons are calculated and planned for our male counterparts because in history men have made up the proportion of our high prison populace. It is hard to meet the needs of women prisoners when the facilities are not custom-made for them. Prisons for women should be geared with programming to help these women deal with obstacles they are facing in their daily lives. But because there are fewer women in prison, the health services that are given to them are typically nominal as compared to males. One of the biggest problems for women in prison is that they are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus commonly known as HIV. There is a tangible need to address the problem with HIV positive incarcerated women. (Reyes, 2001) Female prisoners make up about five percent of our overall prison population but as time has passed their numbers have increased at a rapid pace. In countries where substance abuse is high and drug laws have become harsher, we can see a correlation between...

Words: 2647 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Research

...HIV Introduction H - Stands for Human. The virus is only found in humans and not in animals or insects. I - stands for Immunodeficiency – This means the virus weakens the bodies' ability to fight other infections. In time this leads to the group of illness called AIDS. V - Stands for Virus. It is an infectious agent that is non cellular. It is capable of self replicating only inside living cell. They are therefore parasitic because they rely on the host cell multiplication mechanism. AIDS A-Acquired an acquired condition is the one that is not inborn. AIDS patient acquire a condition that makes them not able to fight infections. I - Immune A normal human being has an immune system that helps them fight disease. The immune system involves structures such as the skin to keep away entry bacteria and other pathogens. The environment we live is full of micro organisms some living in the air, others water and others in food. Our bodies are well adopted to keep away these micro organisms. D – Deficiency. When it comes to HIV AIDS there is deficiency of adequate immunity. HIV virus infect immune cell (to be particular T-helper or CD4+ cells). T - Helper cells are very instrumental in the immune system thus when they are attacked by the virus they deplete in number. S - Syndrome: A variety of different symptoms and illness. The grouping of well recognized illness connected with AIDS makes a syndrome. TYPES OF HIV Two types of HIV are currently recognized: HIV-1, HIV-2. - Transmission...

Words: 16287 - Pages: 66

Premium Essay

New York City African Americans with Hiv

...higher rate of HIV infection of African - American women In New York City there’s an alarming rate of African - American women at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. It’s unfortunate that amongst New York City unlimited diverse population, the African-American woman have steadily and continue to become affected with the HIV virus. Even though nowadays medication has shown improvement to treating HIV, more needed towards the prevention of becoming HIV-positive. Numerous factors must be addressed, and educational programs becoming readily available to the urban modern lifestyle’s that African American as well Women of all ethnicity partake. Change begins with acknowledgement and understandings. History of HIV/AIDS Over 33 million people around the world are infected with AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Of which over a million people are infected with AIDS in the United States. At first, AIDS in the United States was considered a white gay man’s disease. In fact, AIDS was once referred to as “The Gay Plague” (Shilts, 1987). However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2005 that women now make up 26 percent of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. African American women are infected at even higher rates than Women of other racial and ethnic groups. In 2005, close to 127,000 women were living with HIV/AIDS. Black women made up 64 percent of those women living with HIV/AIDS. In 2004, HIV was the leading cause of death for black women aged 25-34 ...

Words: 556 - Pages: 3