The Government is Not Doing Enough

It was a miserable, cold morning on January, 15 2012 when my mother was taken away from me because she was infected with HIV AIDS. It is uncommon that you hear of someone affected by HIV AIDS compared to someone affected by cancer. AIDS is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight the organisms that cause diseases. HIV AIS can be transmitted through sexual intercourse, the sharing of needles, or the contact of body fluids. Not many people are aware that they may have this disease because it does not affect the victim until their last stages of death. HIV slowly took over my mother physical and mentally. Her appearance, self-esteem, and personality were completely destroyed.

Growing up, I faced many challenges that no child should experience because the absence of my mother. Because of this disease, she had an aneurism that caused her to be wheel chair bound and forced to stay in the hospital for the rest of her life span. I was ashamed to tell people who my mother was and that she was restricted to a wheel chair at a nursing home because the disease destroyed her system. Is the U.S. ashamed to admit that millions of men and women who die each year because they are suffering with HIV Aids or Aids? Children like me are also affected because of this horrifying disease. I know that I am not the only one in the world and there are kids that exist who are affected by HIV AIDS because their parents had it or are personally infected by the disease. As a result of my research, in order for the AIDS rate to decease the government needs to inform our citizens and support emotionally and financially.               

The number of Americans being affected by AIDS is growing rapidly (see figure 1). The number of people living with HIV rose from around 8 million in 1990 to 34 million by the end of 2010(Avert). If more people are informed about AIDS, the less likely they are to be infected by it. I did a student survey of 27 students and I found that100% of students surveyed knows of someone who is affected by AIDS but none of them knew of the basic symptoms of AIDS or its symptoms. Of course, in order to promote AIDS, there has to be a government supported organization.

The lack of information also causes AIDS to be angled towards homosexuals. It is important for non-victims to be educated on how AIDS can be contracted. Government needs to take into consideration of the steps of promoting AIDS. Finding a specific way to promote AIDS is challenging. This is because AIDS is often target towards homosexual and bisexual males. According to statistics, homosexuals and bisexuals being targeted towards AIDS is stereotypical (see figure 3). AIDS being contracted by homosexuals has the same numbers in statics as AIDS being contracted by heterosexual activities (see figure 3). AIDS mainly exist among Caucasians, then African Americans and last Hispanics (see figure 2). Steps to promoting AIDS prevention is recognizing AIDS in the community, develop community approach, and eliminating discrimination. Some people affected with AIDS cannot receive treatment because they have not received any symptoms. Promotion on non-victims to get tested will help those who are unaware that they are affected by AIDS.

Supporting AIDS victims and non-victims emotionally can be done through the media. There is not enough media attention towards the disease which causes Americans to not realize that the disease is still in an epidemic phase. Supporting AIDS victims can be done through the media in various ways. One way is by commercial advertisement showing valuable information on how AIDS can be contracted, the symptoms, how to get tested, and why it is important to get tested. Another way is by movies, documentaries, and shows on television that is targeted towards teens and adults. Another way government can help supporting AIDS emotionally is by having health fairs in the community. Those health fairs can inform communities on everything they need to know about AIDS and also give them the chance to be tested.

The research and promotion for AIDS is being done by non-profit organizations that raise money to continue their journey of preventing AIDS without the help of the government. According to the “President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFRAR)”, George Bush created a plan for an organization that supports AIDS victims when he was in office. A current president, George W. Bush, announced the organization PEPFAR while given his State of the Union address, but there is no proof that this organization is still effective or ever was. George Bush informed Americans that there will be fifteen billion dollars going to an organization that will help the number of people affect by AIDS from increasing. The purpose of this plan is to stop seven million new AIDS infections and help treat two million people with lifesaving drugs and give care for the ten million people who are affected by AIDS. This plan also brings awareness to sex workers and inform them that they are more likely to contract this disease. Because of this, countries like Brazil do not support this plan. Unfortunately, this proposal is target towards homosexual men, drug abusers and also women.  

The research and p“President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFRAR)”, romotion of AIDS needs a stable financial plan that will ensure AIDS victims and non-victims that they do have a caring support system and also tell non victims important information on AIDS.  Also, AIDS need a government supported organization that do not target towards homosexuals men, drug abusers, and also women. Almost 149.8 billion dollars from the government is going to cancer research versus 15 billion that Bush promises towards AIDS research. That is a 134.8 billion dollar differences that needs to be fixed. If at least 100 billion dollars is towards AIDS and its research and promotion, then the number of victims affect by AIDS will decrease, but it cannot be done without the help of the government.

The government should be responsible for playing a part in promoting AIDS and the research behind it. If the government plays a role, then it will influence the community and other organization to come together to create possible solutions. A strong government founded organization is needed to decrease the number of Americans affected by AIDS. If the government supports AIDS informationally, emotionally, and financially then it gives non-victims a less likely advantage to created AIDS.

Important Charts and Graphs

Figure One

Figure Two

Estimated AIDS diagnoses in 2009 by race/ethnicity

Figure Three

Work Cited

47982 Duck News, November 1987, 7.83 Phil Dickie, The Road to Fitzgerald and Beyond

(Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, 1989),17_18.84 Under Section 208 of the

Queensland Criminal Code, it also still illegal for heterosexual couples to engage in anal intercourse. Robinson: Responding to Homophobia 197

AIDS Education and Prevention, 23(6), 479–494, 2011

© 2011 The Guilford Press

Afwerki, I. (1997). Foreign aid works best when it’s self limiting. Forum for Applied Research

and Public Policy, 12, 68-70.Bethel, E. R. (Ed.). (1995). AIDS: Readings on a global crisis. NeedhamHeights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Thompson Jr. , Dennis. "Cancer Research: Where the Funding Goes ." Every Day Health I. Every Day Health Inc, 2012. Web. 9 May 2012. <http://www.everydayhealth.com/cancer/cancer-research-where-funding-goes.asp&xgt;.

Global Trends . 2012 . Photograph. Avert

"HIV and AIDS statistics by race/ethnicity." Internation Hiv and Aids Charity. Adverting Hiv

and Aids , 2011. Web. 14 Mar 2012. <http://www.avert.org/usa-race-age.htm>.

Moody, Jasmine. “AIDS Blog Survey.” Survey. 28 March 2012.

An Excellent Website for AIDS Statics

http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm

AIDS is Constantly Growing

Global Trends . 2012 . Photograph. Avert

Barack Obama

President Obama supports the promotion of AIDS. Do you ?

Barack Obama. N.d. Photograph. Getty Images

Fiscal Year 2003 Funding for HIV/AIDS in the United States

At a Glance⁵

	Department	Agency	Amount
HIV Prevention	Health & Human Services	Centers for Disease Control & Prev.	$320,142,357
Ryan White - Title I	Health & Human Services	Health Research & Services Admin.	$626,649,000
Ryan White - Title II	Health & Human Services	Health Research & Services Admin	$1,066,940,000
Ryan White - Title III	Health & Human Services	Health Research & Services Admin	$200,925,000
Ryan White - Title IV	Health & Human Services	Health Research & Services Admin	$74,497,000
Ryan White - AETC	Health & Human Services	Health Research & Services Admin	$35,550,000
Ryan White - Dental	Health & Human Services	Health Research & Services Admin	$13,405,000
Ryan White - SPNS	Health & Human Services	Health Research & Services Admin	$19,684,600*
HOPWA	Housing & Urban Dev.	Office of HIV/AIDS Housing	$285,464,628
* FY 2002 Funding Level, the FY 2003 Funding level for SPNS is unavailable (as of June 2004)

HIV/AIDS in the United States . 2004. Photograph. The Body The Complete HIV/AIDS Resources

Statics from AIDS Website Part 1

Total Reported AIDS Cases by Gender, 2002		Percentage of Total AIDS Cases Reported by Gender, 2002
Total Reported AIDS Cases by Race/Ethnicity, 2002		Percentage of Total AIDS Cases Reported by Race/Ethnicity, 20022
White, Not Hispanic 364,458 Black, Not Hispanic 347,491 Hispanic 163,940 Asian/Pacific Islander 6,924 American Indian/Alaskan Native 2,875	White, Not Hispanic 41% Black, Not Hispanic 39% Hispanic 18% Asian/Pacific Islander <1% American Indian/Alaskan Native <1%

Check out this Documentary!:)

This video is from PBS. org.
It is a great informational video that analyze statics on the increase of AIDS in the United States and also it's causes. It questions if there would ever be an AIDS free generation.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2172750747

Article Summary

Thirty Years of AIDS in America:

A Story of Infinite Hope

My summary: Finding a specific way to promote AIDS is challenging. This is because AIDS is often target towards homosexual and bisexual males. According to statistics, homosexuals and bisexuals being targeted towards AIDS is stereotypical. AIDS mainly exist among Caucasians, then African Americans, and last Hispanics. Steps to promoting AIDS prevention is recognizing AIDS in the community, develop community approach, and eliminate racism. Some people affected with AIDS cannot receive treatment because they have not received any symptoms. It cost money to develop programs for AIDS prevention.

Responding to Homophobia: HIV/AIDS,

Homosexual Community Formation and Identity

in Queensland, 1983_1990

Summary: In Queensland, the gay and lesbian community was considered an outcast in the community. They gays and lesbians received a lot of hate towards them and fought to get the respect they wanted. Their mission was almost complete until it was publically announced that in America, homosexual men was responsible for spreading AIDS. Ironically, homosexuals in the Queensland communities had been diagnosed with diseases that are rare forms of cancer. The Queensland AIDS Committee held meetings to inform the gay and lesbian comitees on the epidemic. AIDS broke out in the homosexual community and they were targeted greatly. The Queensland AIDS Committee developed ads and campaigns to promote AIDS awareness.

The President’s Emergency Plan for

AIDS Relief (PEPFAR):

A Social Work Ethical Analysis

and Recommendations

Summary: This article does not talk in details about the President’s actions to promote AIDS Prevention, but instead include supporting details on why AIDS promotion is not supported by all organizations. 15 billion dollars is going to an organization to help the number of people affected by AIDS from increasing. A current president, George W. Bush, announced the organization PEPFAR while given his State of the Union address. This plan would stop 7 million new AIDS infections and help treat 2million people with lifesaving drugs, and give care for the 10 million people who are affecting by AIDS. This plan also bring awareness to sex workers , and inform them that they are more likely to contract this disease. Because of this, countries like Brazil do not support this plan. This plan is target towards homosexual men, drug abusers and also women.  

Essential Questions

My topic is: are the methods the United States using to prevent teens from being affected by AIDS working? While researching my topic, I use five essential questions. These essentials questions help lead me in the right path to finding answers based on my topics. These questions are:

1.      Which methods is the United States using to prevent AIDS, working the most?

2.      What type of medicines have the United States created is effective on preventing AIDS?

3.      How is the United States encouraging teens to prevent AIDS?

4.      What if the United States did not have any methods? Would there be a difference in the statics of people affected by AIDS?

5.      Should teens decide on the methods the U.S. using to prevent AIDS?

6.      Why is AIDS becoming an epidemic in the United States?

My other important essential questions.

1. Is the government doing enough to promote AIDS prevention, and is their way of prevention working?

2. Should the government be involved in AIDS prevention? Would their support make a visible difference?

3. What triggered the issue of homosexuals being targeted for the source that originally spread AIDS?

4. Which minorities are being affected the most with AIDS?

5. How did AIDS really become an epidemic, is it acceptable for homosexuals to take the blame?
 

Click on this link to take my survey please:)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?pli=1&formkey=dFk4ZmwzN1R1Y0Itc0h0Rjh5WHRTbUE6MQ#gid=0

Research Memo

Aids Prevention

Hypothesis: Many teens are not aware of the disease called AIDS and that it can be contracted through sexual intercourse. This is why my research topic is: “Are the methods of prevention for AIDS that the United States is using, helping prevent teens from contracting the disease”? In my research,  I have conducted a survey towards teens and adults to analyze their knowledge on Aids and its symptoms. My results will possibly show the lack of knowledge teens and also adults have on Aids and its symptoms.

Context: My research is based on the lack of knowledge on Aids is the leading cause on why teens are contracting this vile disease. My target audience is towards mostly teens and also adults. I surveyed teens from the age range of 12-19 and also adults 20 and up. I choose these respondents because their response will be more relatable to my research topic. My questions are not worded in a way to persuade the audience to automatically support my hypothesis. I had to change my questioning in the middle of the audience because I did start off with bias questioning. For example, I asked, why do you think teens lack information about Aids? This question can be classified as, leading the audience. The person who may take my survey might no believe teens lack information about AIDS. Another example is, why do you think AIDS is an epidemic?  If I would have kept those questions, my answers would not be valid.

Results:

Number of Males that took my survey	13
Number of Females that took my survey	14
Number of people in the age group of  (12-14)	0
Number of people in the age group of (15-18)	25
Number of people in the age group of (20-30)	1
Number of people in the age group of (30+)	1

Results	Errors
Out of 27 people 9 people, (33%) believed that Aids is not a growing epidemic in the United States. The survey takers are between the age group (15-18).	I should have survey more students in the age group (12-14), to justify my opinion more that teens are not aware that Aids is a growing epidemic.
Out of 27 people 18 people, (66%) believed that Aids is a growing epidemic in the United States. Those people are in the age group of (15-18), (20-30), and (30+).	I did not include the age 19 in any of the age groups.
Out of 27 people, about 62% believed that education is most important when it comes to raising awareness about Aids.
Out of 27 people, about 38% believes that sharing of personal experience is most important when it comes to raising awareness about Aids.
Out of 27 people, about 96% believes that Aids is a growing epidemic in the United States.	I should have included a “not sure” answer choice for this survey question.
Out of 27 people, 70% of people know someone that is or have been affected by Aids, 19% are related to someone that is affected or has been affected by Aids, and 11% know and are related to someone that is affected or has been affected by Aids.	I should include a “none of the above” answer choice for this survey.  This will ensure that my answers are validated and students were not just choosing because there was not an answer choice available to fit their answer.
On average, females’ knowledge on Aids rank 3 out of 1-4 with 4 being the greatest and 1 being the least. Most females rank their knowledge with a 4. On average, males’ knowledge on Aids rank a 3 out of 1-4 with 4 being the greatest and 1 being the least. Most males rank their knowledge with a 3.
Out of 27 people, about 4% believes that Aids is not a growing epidemic in the United States.
Out of 27 people, about 27 % believed that parents are responsible for educating teens about Aids and its prevention. Twenty four percent believed it was is teachers’ job, 16% believed it was the medias’ job, 8% believed it is our peers job, and 25% believed is the doctors’ job.
Out of 27 people, about 78% do not hear about Aids in the media often, about 15% says they hear it in the media often and 7% was unsure.
Out of 27 people, about 93% believed that teens should have a valuable input on the methods the United States use to prevent Aids. About 7% believes that teens should not have a valuable input on the methods the United States use to prevent Aids.

Data Analysis:

·         In my survey; I noticed that males and females believed that education is most important when raising awareness about AIDS. The question was stating, “What is most important when raising awareness about aids”? The answer choices were education, advertisements, and personal experiences. On average, 62% chosen that education is most important when raising awareness about Aids. I believe this occurs because education is always the key to informing someone about a topic, especially a controversial topic such as AIDS. Personal experience and advertisement can only be understood if someone knows the information about the topic.

·         In my survey I asked: “Do you believe that AIDS is a growing epidemic in the United States.” Those who did believe AIDS is a growing epidemic in the United States are either related to someone or knew someone who is affected with Aids.  I believe this is a trend because people who know someone or related to someone can see first-hand the issues somebody with AIDS can have and how serious and dangerous the disease actually is. If someone does not know a person or persons with the disease, then they will not take the disease seriously.

·         In my survey, I asked, “Should teens have a valuable input on the methods the United States use to prevent aids?” Most males believed that teens should not have a valuable input on the methods in the United States to prevent Aids. Their response was related to a statement like: “teens do not care”. The males who believed that teens do not care also ranked their knowledge of AIDS as a 2. That shows that because they do not know enough information about Aids, they do not know how greatly it is affecting not only adults, but also teens and even babies.

Conclusion: My hypothesis was that teens are lacking knowledge of AIDS. Based on my results, my hypothesis was not clearly true. Many teens did not know much about AIDS, but if I would conduct different questions, I would have gotten more valid answers. I would have a better insight on how much knowledge teens really have on AIDS. Based on the data, I can conclude that the United States does not show many ads on AIDS prevention on channels that most teens watch. Also locally, the state of South Carolina does not inform teens on AIDS and its’ prevention.   

Follow Up: The next mission I want to do with my research is to help raise awareness about AIDS and its prevention. The essential research questions I will research next are: “Will other states ways of prevents benefit South Carolina if it was to adopt that plan and how affective is AIDS awareness month?”  I want to share my story of losing my mom to AIDS to local teens and hopefully change their perspective of having unsafe sex.

Statics

The CDC estimates that by the end of 2008 there were 490,696 people living with an AIDS diagnoses in the United States and five dependent areas, around 38,000 more than 2006. Since 2000 the annual number of new AIDS diagnoses has remained relatively constant, with an estimated 34,993 in 2009. In total, an estimated 1,142,714 people have been diagnosed with AIDS in America since the beginning of the epidemic.
Just over 75% of adults and adolescents living with an AIDS diagnosis are men.

Race/ethnicity of adult and adolescents living with an AIDS diagnosis in the U.S. in 2008

As the pie chart below shows, blacks/African Americans accounted for the largest proportion of people living with an AIDS diagnosis in 2008.

Transmission category of male and female adults and adolescents living with an AIDS diagnosis in the U.S. in 2008

Almost half of male adults and adolescents living with AIDS in 2008 became infected with HIV through male-to-male sexual contact. Two-thirds of female adults and adolescents living with an AIDS diagnosis in 2008 were infected through heterosexual contact.

HIV and AIDS statistics by race/ethnicity
Blacks/African Americans accounted for half of all new HIV diagnoses and just under half of new AIDS diagnoses in 2009. Of the total number of people living with an HIV diagnosis in 2008 in the 40 U.S. states and 5 dependent areas, 46% were black/African American; 31.6% white; 20% Hispanic/Latino; 1.3% multiple races; 0.6% Asian; 0.4% American Indian/Alaska Native; and 0.04% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.
Among men diagnosed with AIDS in 2009, 56% of black/African American men, 65% of Hispanic/Latino men and 79% of white men became infected with HIV through male-to-male sexual contact. Among women diagnosed with AIDS in 2009, 78% of black/African American women, 75% of Hispanic/Latino women and 68% of white women became infected through heterosexual contact.

Estimated new adult and adolescent HIV and AIDS diagnoses in 2009, by race/ethnicity

Race/ethnicity	HIV			AIDS
	Males	Females	Total*	Males	Females	Total*
White	10,098	1,700	11,810	8,126	1,344	9,471
Black/African American	14,914	6,632	21,673	11,109	5,642	16,759
Hispanic/Latino	6,615	1,625	8,263	5,852	1,586	7,442
Asian	365	105	473	349	80	429
American Indian/Alaska Native	137	51	189	127	28	155
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander	26	10	36	45	7	52
Multiple races	383	132	516	495	192	686
Total*	32,538	10,255	42,959	26,102	8,879	34,993

* Values in each column may not sum to the column total, as the column totals for estimated numbers were calculated independently of the values for the subpopulations.

Estimated HIV diagnoses by race/ethnicity and year

Race/ethnicity	Year of diagnosis
	2006	2007	2008	2009
White	12,103	12,334	11,866	11,810
Black/African American	20,696	20,953	21,730	21,673
Hispanic/Latino	8,562	8,579	8,278	8,263
Asian	366	474	466	473
American Indian/Alaska Native	163	185	193	189
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander	47	46	34	36
Multiple races	606	631	567	516

Estimated AIDS diagnoses by race/ethnicity and year

Race/ethnicity	Year of diagnosis				All years*
	2006	2007	2008	2009
White	10,487	10,050	9,672	9,471	426,230
Black/African American	17,321	17,194	17,077	16,759	466,829
Hispanic/Latino	7,920	7,696	7,476	7,442	223,671
Asian	422	454	492	429	8,369
American Indian/Alaska Native	145	141	177	155	3,702
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander	49	55	44	52	851
Multiple races	686	656	616	686	12,749

* Includes all years from the beginning of the epidemic through 2009.

Estimated HIV diagnoses in 2009 by race/ethnicity

Estimated AIDS diagnoses in 2009 by race/ethnicity

**This is not my findings. These statics and charts was taken from a website who's citation is underneath this notice. .
 "HIV and AIDS statistics by race/ethnicity." Internation Hiv and Aids Charity. Adverting Hiv and Aids , 2011. Web. 14 Mar 2012. <http://www.avert.org/usa-race-age.htm>.

Digital Death

This is one way celebrity’s’ campaigned their supports for people who are affect with HIV Aids. These celebrities stopped their social life to support millions affect with the disease and raise money for the great cause.

The story behind my research topic.

It was a miserable, cold morning on January 15 2012, when my mother was taken away from me because she was infected with HIV Aids. It is intermittent that you hear of someone affected by HIV Aids compared to someone affected by cancer. AIDS is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight the organisms that cause diseases. HIV Aids can be transmitted through sexual intercourse, the sharing of needles, or the contact of body fluids. Not many people are aware that they may have this disease because it does not affect you until your last stages. HIV slowly took over my mother psychically and mentally. Her appearance, self-esteem and personality were completely destroyed. Growing up, I faced many challenges that no child should experience because the absent of my mother. Because of this disease, she had an aneurism that caused her to be wheel chair bound and forced to stay in the hospital for the rest of her life span. I was ashamed to tell people who my mother was and that she was restricted to a wheel chair at a nursing home because the disease destroyed her system. Now that my mother is gone, that guilt urges me to speak out loud and inform others about this disease. My childhood was greatly affected by mom not being there. I want more teens to be more informed on HIV Aids and how it can be received. My blog is going to be based on the different ways the government campaign way to prevent Aids. Teens are not informed enough about sexually transmitted disease but greatly educated on sex. Is the U.S. ashamed to admit that millions of men and women die a year because they are suffering with HIV Aids or Aids? Children like me are also affected because of this horrifying disease. I know that I am not the only one in the world and there are kids that exist who are affected by HIV Aids because their parents had it or they are personally infected by it. I hope my blog inspires others to be aware of sexually transmitted diseases or diseases in general and know that there are simple ways to not contract disease that destroy the human body. Remember your body is your temple, take care of it, and value it.