¶ … HIV / AIDS on African-American Community in U.S.
Certain diseases occur more frequently within certain communities or ethnic groups. In part, this can be connected to genetics, heritage, environment, or the habits of a given cultural or ethnic group. This phenomenon is no different with HIV / AIDS, an illness which has been aggravated in the African-American community. HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus, a virus which can eventually turn into AIDS, also known as the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. HIV / AIDS is believed to have come from a chimpanzee in West Africa: "They believe that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV) most likely was transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their infected blood. Studies show that HIV may have jumped from apes to humans as far back as the late 1800s" (Cdc.gov). One of the major issues with finding a treatment and a cure for this disease is because it impacts the very biological system which is designed to keep people healthy and to fight off all infections. The white blood cells which are the body's metaphorical "soldiers of defense" are targeted by this virus, making the human body vulnerable to infections and to other diseases. Thus, for most people who have died of AIDS, they've actually died of opportunistic infections that capitalize on the weakened organism that has been created by AIDS.
At this time, there is no cure for HIV / AIDS; however, there is a highly successful AIDS cocktail which can keep a given individual from having the disease progress. The AIDS cocktail is also known as HAART: "A variety of antiretroviral drug therapies are currently available via prescription to HIV-infected patients. Each drug included in the combination therapy serves a unique purpose. The combination of drugs works to prevent the virus from replicating, and in many cases can restore the patient's CD4 and T-cell counts, thus improving the quality and longevity of life" (Krucik, 2013). While strides like these in modern medicine have been amazing and essential, the virus is still something which needs to be acutely controlled through education and prevention.
Moreover, it cannot be denied that the disease is localized to the African-American community. This is directly connected to the fact that there are simply more African-Americans infected with HIV / AIDS: this means that if one is engaging actively in sex, romance, play or socially with a group of people who have a high rate of the disease, you're going to put yourself in a position where you're more at risk. "HIV / AIDS continues to affect the African-American community at disproportionate rates -- more than any other racial and ethnic group in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control, African-Americans account for 51% of newly reported infections annually, but this population only makes up 12% of the total U.S. population" (impact DC, 2010). These statistics demonstrate how indeed this condition is something which overtly impacts this minority group more profoundly than others. There's a great deal of speculation and conjecture as to why this disparity exists: some cite barrier to healthcare and a stigma in connection with this group; others assert that African-Americans generally transmit the disease through intercourse with HIV positive people or those at an aggravated risk of HIV, those who shoot drugs via needles or through sexual contact with men (impact DC, 2010). "The estimated annual HIV / AIDS diagnosis rate among black males was 124.8 per 100,000 population and 60.2 per 100,000 among black females, both higher than the rates for all other racial and ethnic populations" (Impact DC, 2010). This means that one can consider the disease to have inflicted a state of emergency within the African-American community (Impact DC, 2010).
I selected this topic precisely because it amounts to such a profound state of emergency on the African-American community. It is because this disease is so invasive and so debilitating to this community that I have selected it as my topic of focus because it needs the attention. This is a population in America which is already still very largely disadvantaged and in need of additional support. This is a population in America which is vulnerable to poverty, teen pregnancies, poor health and unemployment. This is not a population that can adequately deal with such an invasive disease on their own, particularly one which wages so much destruction.
Topic of Concern
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