Latino/Hispanic Communities in US: Alarming HIV Risk & Stats - Essay Sample

Introduction

For several decades, HIV has remained to be a serious health hazard among the Latino and Hispanic communities residing in the United States of America. The figures obtained from the 2016 house survey ascertain this fact. The number of persons living with HIV from this community has been about 16 percent of the national total, with about 2863 related deaths in the year 2015. Worrying enough, the community accounts for about 26 percent of the new diagnoses nationwide. With the males contributing to about 87 percent of the new infections and only 84 percent of the total number of infected members of the community being aware of their HIV status, the problems of reckless sexual behavior by the Latino gay men and poor HIV screening turnouts need to be addressed adequately.

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

Save 25%

However, as identified by this research study, some challenges are unique to the American Hispanic community, which have hampered progress in this area. To begin with, even though most American Latinos are infected with HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), only their small percentage are aware of their status. This makes it difficult for the health professionals to direct the required care and education to the sick persons in time. Additionally, there is an overwhelming number of undocumented members of the community living in poverty. Therefore, most are unable to not only get HIV testing but also required care.

Several interventions, models, and theories have been put forward in an attempt to correct the situation. Firstly, several governmental and non-governmental agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have come up with initiatives such as Targeted Highly-Effective Interventions to Reverse the HIV Epidemic (THRIVE) and the project pride that make HIV infection control, screening, and care activities free and within reach of all the members of the American Latino community. The interventions include funding to a tune of $400 million annually to cater for the surveillance, health education, and free voluntary HIV screening to the American Hispanics, with most emphasis laid on the gay and bisexual men and the transgender millennials of color.

Secondly, the molecular HIV experiments to identify the actual transmission networks for HIV have been conducted among the Latino communities. The Latino gay and bisexual men have been extensively targeted in the exercise to provide early testing avenues and bring most infected persons to HIV care while educating them on positive living. Finally, with the research findings that the skyrocketing HIV infection rates are attributable to stigma, there have been movements for inclusive campaigns among all to advocate for prevention and control of the spread of HIV. The initiative, 'Let's Stop HIV Together' by the CDC, aims at creating awareness to fight HIV related stigma and encouraging American Hispanics to go for regular HIV testing and accept treatment if diagnosed to be positive. It also leads to organizing talks on HIV with the gay and bisexual Latino men and signing contracts with National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) to spearhead early HIV screening, prevention, and retention in care for the infected persons.

As an effort by the medical fraternity, conceptual, ecological, and public health nursing models have been incorporated in the fight against HIV among the American Hispanic communities and other at-risk groups as well. The conceptual model in itself helps to promote regular HIV screening, treatment care, and discussions not only among the community members but also between them and the health professionals. The model represents pillars such as support for HIV related medical programs among the at-risk populations, spearheading discussions aimed at improving the social perceptions of the community towards the infected persons, and organizing periodic events for HIV testing and consultations.

Next is the Modified Social-Ecological Model (MSEM) that plays a critical role in the identification of the prevalence levels of epidemics such as HIV in the vulnerable communities and putting measures in place to combat it. The method essentially makes use of five layers, namely public policy, network, individual, community, and stage of epidemics, to control their insurgency. Research has shown that proper target of the named layers has a great likelihood of developing means of controlling the new infections by ensuring early diagnosis and putting many under continuous medical care, especially among vulnerable communities like he American Hispanics. Additionally, the model of Public Health Nursing (PHN) recommended for the most at-risk communities is greatly applicable among the Latino communities of the United States. As provided by this model, the health professional who is properly trained goes to the community schools, markets, residents, jails, hospitals, and other social gatherings to talk to people about HIV control and prevention. In a pursuit to end the suffering due to HIV, the communities, families, and individuals need to be properly informed about taking charge of their health by taking regular screening and leading healthy lifestyles.

Conclusion

In summary, although the stated programs have contributed their share towards the reduction of HIV infections generally, the problems of new infections among the Hispanic gay and bisexual men and low HIV screening numbers among the community need to be tackled swiftly. Interventions by various bodies to promote education on early and regular screening and leading of healthy lifestyles while suppressing stigma directed towards the infected and affected persons seem to be working. Further, as identified by this research, the promotion of medical research into the subject by upscaling a systematic review of the available information can be helpful in the identification and replication of applicable activities among the American Hispanic and Latino communities.