HIV Virus Essay Example

HIV Virus is a threat to the health of the public since it causes individuals to develop the HIV infection, and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the long-term. Once the HIV virus gets in the body, it is impossible to get rid of it, which necessitates health care practitioners to educate and create awareness of the public on possible ways they can prevent themselves from acquiring the infection in their bodies. It is also important to inform patients living with the HIV virus of ways they can take care of themselves by following a strict diet and taking their medication on time. Globally, an estimated 37 million people are currently infected with the HIV virus (Schwartlander et al., 2011). About 3 million of the total number are children below 15 years. Every year, new infections are reported at health care facilities, and both adults and children are not spared. An approximate of 70% of all HIV infected people are aware of their statuses while 30%re unaware, which justifies the need for the health care institutions to increase the amount of information circulating in the public about the HIV virus. The HIV virus is mainly spread through two major methods (Chakrapani et al., 2012). They include the sexual and non-sexual transmission methods. The sexual methods include engaging in unprotected sex with an infected person where bodily fluids like semen, and vaginal secretions are transferred from one person to another. On the other hand, non-sexual methods of transmission include from a mother to a child during pregnancy, childbirth, or during breastfeeding.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Everyone is at a risk of being infected with the HIV virus. Every year, there is an increase in the number of new HIV infections despite the advanced knowledge that medical practitioners have about the HIV virus (Liao et al., 2013). This is because a large number of people infected with the HIV virus still do not have a good access to care, prevention, and treatment, as there is no cure for the disease. The only scientific knowledge that HIV infected people rely on is the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). ARVs help suppress the virus which makes it easier for the HIV infected people to live healthy lives. It also reduces the possibility of infecting others with the virus in case there is an exposure (Chakrapani et al., 2012; Lau et al., 2011). The entire world is vulnerable to the HIV virus since it not only affects the health of the infected persons, but the wellbeing of families, the society, and the country as a whole. The HIV virus robs the world able-bodied people that help contribute to the growth of the global economy.

Globally, stakeholders' relative to the problem of the HIV virus pandemic are found in every country. They range from health care practitioners to leaders of nations, as they all unite in a bid to reduce the prevalence of the international pandemic (Schwartlander et al., 2011). For instance, countries are directly and indirectly affected by the virus as part of the national resources are directed towards purchasing drugs that are used in the treatment of the virus. Research and development institutes have also been set up to come up with strategies that can be used to fight off the pandemic both in the short-term and in the long-term. For instance, there has been a significant progress made in the knowledge about preventing transmission of HIV from mothers to children (Lau et al., 2011). This is because women are informed of ways they can take care of themselves during pregnancy and during breastfeeding so that they can give their children a chance to live without the HIV virus.

The medical industry has been at the forefront and vested interest in the HIV virus problem. Scientists are on the lookout for possible ways to eradicate the problem from the world, by researching how the virus affects the human body (Acharya et al., 2017). The HIV lifecycle has been of interest to the doctors as they seek to understand how it affects the immune system of an infected person. Schwartlander et al. (2011) stated that HIV attacks the white blood cells and targets the T-helper cell, that is commonly known as the CD4 cell. The CD4 cell in a healthy person enables the body fight off potential diseases and bacteria. Since HIV cannot survive on its own once it gets into the human body, it attaches itself to the CD4 cell, which acts as a catalyst to help it move to the different parts of the body. Once the HIV virus is attached to the T-helper cell, it destabilizes the DNA composition, and starts releasing HIV into the bloodstream. With time, the body becomes weak as the white blood cells, which are the defense system, are affected. In the long-term, the immune system is also affected, making it impossible for the body to fight off opportunistic infections that attack the body (Chakrapani et al., 2012). The development and spread of the HIV virus on the human body depends on the health and wellbeing of an individual, as well as their commitment to consistently take their ARV drugs once they have been diagnosed with the virus. This is because once an infected person fails to take their medication on time and as advised by the medical practitioners, drug resistance against the virus develops, making it hard for the ARVs to suppress the virus.

The ecological perspective of people living with the HIV virus and their environment can be explained using the environmental factors and interactions that such individuals have with others (Liao et al., 2013). Initially, when the amount of information about the HIV virus was limited and the public was unaware of how to relate to people that have also already been infected, there was a social issue of stigma. People that had already been discovered to have the HIV virus were neglected and treated as outcasts, their human interactions were also reduced and it became almost impossible for them to lead normal lives (Latkin et al., 2013). However, with the current information that research analysts have released to the public on ways that HIV is spread, then people that have been infected have increased their interactions with other human beings and with the environment. The public has also been informed of the need to maintain social interactions with people that have been infected with the HIV virus since they need acceptance and love.

Addressing the HIV virus pandemic is important since it is considered a global issue. Millions of people have lost their lives to HIV and AIDs. Some of the lives lost had been due to ignorance about the HIV virus and how it affects the human body (Acharya et al., 2017). However, with the current knowledge and more research being conducted across the world in different research centers, then it is possible to prevent new infections and manage those that have already been diagnosed with the virus so that they can live for long. Additionally, addressing the HIV pandemic will enable the medical practitioners address other issues like behavior and mental illnesses that affect people that have already been infected with the virus (Chakrapani et al., 2012; Glanz & Bishop, 2010). For instance, once the public is educated in non-sexual ways they can get the virus like through the sharing of sharp objects, they will take the right precautionary measures. Drugs and substance abusers will also be informed on the correlation between the new HIV infections and the sharing of needles (Varas-Diaz et al., 2010). Once people become intoxicated, they are unable to make rational and objective decisions, which then increases their risk of sharing sharp objects like needles, or engaging in risky sexual behavior.

Negative consequences that would accrue to the people that use drugs and the society at large if the problem is not addressed would be an increase in the number of infections every day for persons with behavioral issues (Latkin et al., 2013). Informing the public on personal responsibility to ensure that they do not get infected enables them to make informed choices. Behavioral practitioners provide counselling services to different public groups with the aim of educating them ways they can prevent themselves from being infected with the HIV virus through behavioral change, as well as ways they can take care of themselves once they know they have been infected (Glanz & Bishop, 2010). The practitioners also encourage people that have been infected with the virus to adhere to the medications they take so that they can live longer lives, and also reduce the probability of infecting others. Further, the public is also informed that people living with the HIV virus can lead normal lives and have a healthy sex life as long as they follow their medication guidelines. The justification for addressing the HIV virus as a national pandemic is that every person is either directly or indirectly affected by the issue.

One of the largest public health agencies that helps fight against the HIV virus is the International Aids Society (IAS) (Latkin et al., 2013). It was founded in the late 1980s and members come from different countries in the world. The main aim of the agency is developing strategies that will help reduce the prevalence of HIV, which will then reduce the negative impact the pandemic has on the world. The role of a public health professional who is involved in resolving the issue of new HIV transmissions is educate the public about the virus, and inform them ways they can prevent themselves, or take care if they have already been diagnosed with the condition (Varas-Diaz et al., 2010). The public health professional also has a duty to ensure that people are aware of the risky sexual actions and behavioral activities that may increase the probability of being infected with the virus. Additionally, the professional encourages those living with the virus that they can lead normal lives as long as they follow the medical guidelines to eat well and take their medications on time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the health care industry has played a successful role in educating the public about the HIV virus, which is a global issue, and has helped reduce the rate of new infections every year. HIV has affected the lives of millions of people across the world as children have been left orphaned by the loss of their parents to the virus. Ignorance and lack of proper information have been some of the reasons people have lost their lives. Once an individual starts taking the ARVs, they receive advice on the need to be faithful and follow the guidelines from the practitioners so that they can suppress the virus and fight off opportunistic infections in their bodies. Behavioral change also helps reduce the possibility of getting infected since one can make rational decisions without the influence of drugs.

References

Acharya, B., Maru, D., Schwarz, R., Citrin, D., Tenpa, J., Hirachan, S., ... & Kohrt, B. (2017). Partnerships in mental healthcare service delivery in low-resource settings: developing an innovative network in rural Nepal. Globalization and health, 13(1), 2.

Chakrapani, V., Newman, P. A., Singhal, N., Jerajani, J., & Shunmugam, M. (2012). Willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials among men who have sex with men in Chennai and Mumbai, India: a social ecological approach. PloS one, 7(12), e51080.

Glanz, K., & Bishop, D. B. (2010). The role of behavioral science theory in development and implementation of public health interventions. Annual review of public health, 31, 399-418.

Latkin, C. A., German, D., Vlahov, D., & Galea, S. (2013). Neighborhoods and HIV: a social ecological approach to prevention and care. American Psychologist, 68(4), 210.

Lau, J. T. F., Lin, C., Hao, C., Wu, X., & Gu, J. (2011). Public health challenges of the emerging HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men in China. Public health, 125(5), 260-265.

Liao, H. X., Lynch, R., Zhou, T., G...