... Gayle and Patrick have been in a monogamous marriage for seven years. During a medical checkup, Gayle finds that she is HIV positive. Because she has not been sexually active outside her marriage and has never injected drugs, received a blood transfusion, or been hospitalized, she is quite certain that Patrick must have infected her. When she calls the local health clinic to discover if Patrick has been tested for HIV, they tell her that this information is confidential. She does not want to confront Patrick for fear that he may not be infected and she will have to explain her own infection. Audio: Thinking It Over This is a difficult situation for Gayle to find herself in. She has to deal with two very large issues — she's infected with a life-threatening virus and she's living with doubt and fear about her partner. Since she's quite certain he transmitted the virus to her, he most likely is infected. How did he become infected? In what behavior did he participate that put him at risk, and eventually put her at risk as well? Why didn't he tell her about it? Why didn't he have himself tested to make sure he was HIV-free? Most people in such cases would be angry with their partners. But Gayle is holding out that there's a possibility that Patrick isn't infected. Now she has to deal with the issue of disclosing this news to Patrick and confronting him with the questions. This is not something she needs to be dealing with right now. What could Patrick and Gayle have done to...
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... Gayle and Patrick have been in a monogamous marriage for seven years. During a medical checkup, Gayle finds that she is HIV positive. Because she has not been sexually active outside her marriage and has never injected drugs, received a blood transfusion, or been hospitalized, she is quite certain that Patrick must have infected her. When she calls the local health clinic to discover if Patrick has been tested for HIV, they tell her that this information is confidential. She does not want to confront Patrick for fear that he may not be infected and she will have to explain her own infection. Audio: Thinking It Over This is a difficult situation for Gayle to find herself in. She has to deal with two very large issues — she's infected with a life-threatening virus and she's living with doubt and fear about her partner. Since she's quite certain he transmitted the virus to her, he most likely is infected. How did he become infected? In what behavior did he participate that put him at risk, and eventually put her at risk as well? Why didn't he tell her about it? Why didn't he have himself tested to make sure he was HIV-free? Most people in such cases would be angry with their partners. But Gayle is holding out that there's a possibility that Patrick isn't infected. Now she has to deal with the issue of disclosing this news to Patrick and confronting him with the questions. This is not something she needs to be dealing with right now. What could Patrick and Gayle have done to...
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...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...
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...Apartheid has been identified as a direct cause of mental health issues in South Africa. A case study on the Organization for Appropriate Social Services in South Africa (OASSSA) recognized the group’s greatest achievement as the establishment of the link between apartheid and mental health. OASSSA was a group of progressive, anti-apartheid mental health workers who first came together to discuss the land act because they “felt both angry and disenchanted at…the idea of discussing family dynamics and therapy within a homeland setting which [was] responsible for the break-up of thousands of families” (Hayes 2000, 328). Through their years working against the apartheid regime, OASSSA built a case as to why the social conditions produced by apartheid...
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...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...
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...(2010) defines Diversity in relation to public health as the term that describes the virtual uniqueness of each person or people group. The uniqueness that exists among the diverse people groups includes their skills, experiences, culture, interests, values and their ambitions. Each of these groups is rich with enormous possibilities. One of the Public Health provider’s professional responsibility is to learn and understand the diversity and cultural differences that exists in there area of operation and beyond, in order to address the health needs of these groups effectively (Woodward, 2010). One of the key agendas of the public health sectors in any country is to provide health care interventions that make a positive difference to the people and in a way that respects and values diversity of those people (UK DoH, 2004). The government has a responsibility to ensure that the rights of the different people groups are protected in the law, so that all the citizens in the society, especially the vulnerable groups are protected from discrimination (Woodward, 2010). It is important for Public Health Professionals to recognize that it is expected for them to provide care for members of the society who are from diverse backgrounds. This paper provides a discussion on the diversity concerns of public health. In discussing this topic, the paper looks at different people groups that exist in different parts of the world in regard to public health, their role and needs in relation to public...
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...is in today. From colonialism to the rather recent gaining of their independence, Ghana is a relatively new country and it is no surprise that they are currently experiencing growing pains. Because of these growing pains it has resulted in a domino like effect, influencing all facets of the nation. A clearer picture one should paint of the country of Ghana is a nation divided between modern and old, rich and poverty stricken, Westerners and natives. These demographics are essential in the dividing of the country for the issues it faces today are complex and need a well planned all reaching solution to curb the current trends in Ghana today. With that being said, Ghana is a country in the process of modernizing their current platforms/infrastructure but with this growth still come a variety of healthcare issues and diseases such as HIV and Malaria that need attention if this trends are to be curbed. Before one can delve further into the current health issues plaguing the nation of Ghana it is imperative to have a working knowledge on the nation’s history that can be seen as the underlying causes for the problems today. It can be argued that the Europeans colonization of Ghana is what kicked off their health problems. In 1471 the Portuguese were the first to arrive on Ghana’s coast (Andreas, 2011). Just like in the present day when a person has to get a vaccine in order to leave the country for the...
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...ideas and beliefs directly to them (Wilson, 2009). There are countless interest groups that exist in the United States today, and there are several reasons behind their rapid growth and existence. One is the diversity of our nation and large amounts of immigrants from all over the world; having different cultures and backgrounds which lead to different views and expectations of the government. Another factor playing a role in the ability for interest groups to form is the nature of our decentralized political system and the manner in which the Constitution was written; giving citizens the freedom and many rights that other countries do not have. Since the Constitution gives people the power to choose who and how the nation should be governed, it gives them access to politicians and those holding seats in office, to demand and have the freedom to speak up about their expectations of their leaders. And lastly, the weakness of our political parties help set the stage for more and more interest groups to arise; using both areas of strength and weakness of each political party to influence policy makers. An interest group works directly with a strong political party to help achieve a goal, whereas its approach would be directly with the government where political parties are weak (Wilson, 2009). There are two kinds of interest groups; Institutional Interests where organizations or individuals represent other businesses and firms for specific issues and goals, and...
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...Graduate School of Development Studies A Research Paper presented by: Joreen Nkole Mwelwa (ZAMBIA) In partial fulfilment of the requirements for obtaining the degree of MASTERS OF ARTS IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES Specialization: Public Policy and Management (PPM) Members of the examining committee: Prof. Dr Michael Grimm (Supervisor) Dr Bridget O’Laughlin (Reader) The Hague, The Netherlands November, 2009 Disclaimer: This document represents part of the author’s study programme while at the Institute of Social Studies. The views stated therein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Institute. Research papers are not made available for circulation outside of the Institute. Inquiries: Postal address: Institute of Social Studies P.O. Box 29776 2502 LT The Hague The Netherlands Location: Kortenaerkade 12 2518 AX The Hague The Netherlands Telephone: +31 70 426 0460 Fax: +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...
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...1 Assignment: Observation of a Small Group 2 Community Board Background: I attended the Committee For The Concerns Of The Aging meeting for Community Board 12 (Manhattan). The Aging meeting is held every 2nd Tuesday of the month. The meeting was held at Dyckman Senior Center. Community Board #12 Manhattan is one of the 59 community boards in New York City (12 in Manhattan). Each of the Community Board members represents a unique geographic area of the city of New York and CB12 represents the neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood in the Borough of Manhattan. It is delimited by the Harlem River on the east and on the north, the Hudson River on the west, and W 155th Street on the south (Community Board 12, 2011). The Community board is made up of 50 non-salaried volunteered members, who are considered officials of the City of New York. These members are appointed by the borough president, in which half of the members must be appointed from nominees of the districts council members. Each of the Board Members must either live, work, or have special interest in the CB 12 district (Community Board 12, 2011). As an independent City Agency, Community Board #12 Manhattan is committed to improving the delivery of the City services in the district and advocating for the welfare...
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...Department of Housing and Urban Development Abstract The Department of Housing and Urban Development has developed programs designed to help out the less fortunate for years and protect them from discrimination. Administrative law is especially valuable to agencies such The Department of Housing and Urban Development as it addresses fairness and responsibility issues with governing laws. Court cases help to make change where needed when it can be shown the system has failed or if one’s rights have been violated. The Department of Housing and Urban Development The Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) manages and is responsible for the running of programs that provide housing as well as community development assistance. The HUD agency also works to ensure fair and equal housing opportunity for all people. An example of one of the programs is the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is part of HUD, is a government agency which objectives are to improve housing conditions and standards as well as provide a house financing system with insurance of home mortgage loans. Congress created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in 1934. The FHA became a part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Housing in 1965. The HUD agency and issues it covers is very broad so administrative law is a must for this agency to ensure there is fair housing and equal opportunity. Administrative law covers several areas such as rule-making,...
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...Preventing and Adapting to HIV/AIDS Issues and Answers Willo Pequegnat National Institute of Mental Health José Szapocznik University of Miami A lthough the role of families in caring for its sick members is as old as hu mankind, only and health professionals,in recent years have researchers, family practitioners recognized the important role of the family in disease pre vention and health promotion (Anderson & Bury, 1988 ; Cohen & Wills, 1985; Kazak, 1989) . With enhanced treatments, HIV infection is now becoming a long-term chronic illness affecting hundreds of thousands of families . As a seri ous chronic illness, HIV infection is creating pressure o n health care and social and mental health service providers to design comprehensive systems for fami lies . For each of the more than 688,200 persons in the United States with AIDS, there are parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and friends and partners in the fam ily constellation who are affected (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 1998b) . The family is de facto and often de jure caretakers when one of its members is ill or in trouble (Pequegnat & Bray, 1997). AUTHORS' NOTE: The second author was partially supported in writing this chapter by NIMH Grant R37 MH55796 . Requests for further information on this chapter should be sent to Dr. Willo Pequegnat, Associate Director, Primary Prevention, Translational, and International Research, Center for Mental Health Research on AIDS, National Institute...
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...widespread distribution of family planning devices such as condoms, birth control pills, and IUDs, as the government continues to disseminate information on their use through all health care centers. Passage of the legislation was controversial and highly divisive, with experts, academics, religious institutions, and major political figures declaring their support or opposition while it was pending in the legislature. Heated debates and rallies both supporting and opposing the RH Bill took place nationwide. The Supreme Court delayed implementation of the law in March 2013 in response to challenges. As of August 18 this delay was still in force "until further orders". REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE One of the most controversial issues confronting the Philippines today is about reproductive health. Many written materials and publications are available asserting about elements of reproductive health with different perspectives. Their ultimate goal is to improve quality of life and provide for sustainable human development. The Philippines is a signatory country of the International Conference Plan of Action of Reproductive Health in Cairo in 1994. The primary goal is achieving “Better Quality of Life Among Filipinos”. Reproductive health ensures a more efficient and effective referral system from primary to tertiary, public and private...
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...AIDS LEGAL Network Q A Publication of the AIDS Legal Network • 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...
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...10/06/2013 Introduction Sincerely Young adults today face numerous problems. To me, unemployment and drug abuse pose the major challenge for young adults today. These problems, in many instances, have negative effects on individual’s lives and compromise their personal development as well as their relationships with other members of the society. More seriously, they can compromise the health of the individual and bring harm and regret. The increasing numbers of divorces, for example, is a testimony to the negative implications of these problems on the individual and the society. Clearly, therefore, there is an urgent need for intervention from all the concerned stakeholders to address this disturbing issue. Discussion Personally, one of the challenges that I perceive facing the young adults is the increasing frequency of drug and alcohol abuse among the young adults. From investigations and personal interviews, I have established that more and more young adults engage in this unbecoming behavior, and the rates are alarming. I have established that many of the young adults admit to taking drugs because of the frustrations and life uncertainties in the contemporary society. It is also disturbing that many of the young adults understand the consequences but pay little attention to the effect of this behavior on their finances, relationships and social life (Ben-Shahar, 2007). I have also established that the availability of the drugs...
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