Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV causes the human immune system to be altered, causing the human body to be vulnerable to infections and diseases. AIDS is a growing virus in the human race affecting men, women, and children. Target Population In the past, white homosexual males and intravenous drug users were people who were known as targeted population for Aids. In today’s society, African Americans, Hispanics, and the Latinos population are races that are identified as a targeted population at risk for HIV or AIDS.
African Americans are ranked the highest race with the blood disease. Young black men who have sex with men (MSM) are increasing rapidly, causing an increase of the blood disease in the black community. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), “Young black MSM accounted for 45% of new HIV infections among black MSM and 55% of new HIV infections among young MSM overall” (Para 12). However, people who do not fall in these targeted race population must be educated and safe concerning sex.
Anyone who is sexually active makes him or herself a target for HIV or AIDS no matter what his or her race is. Population Demographics About 1. 1 Americans are infected with HIV in the United States, and one in five does not know they are infected. Approximately 50,000 people become infected each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). MSM are at the highest risk for the blood disease, accounting for 61% of the blood disease diagnosis in 2009.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), “White MSM represent the largest number of new HIV infections (11,400) in the United States, followed closely by black MSM (10,800) and Hispanic MSM (6,000)” (p. 3). Gay men are still the highest population targeted for the blood disease. African Americans or Blacks are the highest population of race with the blood disease followed by Latinos. In 2009, Blacks represent 14% of the United States population, and Latinos represent 16%. Blacks accounted for 44% of all new HIV infections.
Latinos accounting for 20% of all new HIV infections and 19% of people living with HIV (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), “Injection drug users represent 9 percent of new HIV infections and 16 percent of people currently living with HIV” (p. 3). Heterosexuals are another targeted population that is affected by the virus; more than two-thirds of the women populations are infected, mainly black women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Changed Demographic on Health Education and treatment have a huge impact on the HIV and AIDS victims.
HIV and AIDS have no cure, but education help people become aware of the disease. Education teaches people how the disease is received and how to protect them selves from the disease. Treatment and medications has extended the life expectancy of the human race that has been infected with the virus. Longevity with the blood disease is changing the demography on the health care market. The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy made it possible for people with HIV infection to live longer, causing the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS to shift in several ways.
People living with HIV and AIDS have risen in recent years, and there a substantial increase in common comorbidities associated with aging in this population. These changes place new emphasis on the important role of primary care in HIV and AIDS management (Valenti, 2008). How Changes in Aids Demographic Affect Health Care Because people with the blood disease are living longer and the demographic has increased to longer life, health care has been affected tremendously. Health care workers have to continue to be educated and have to continue educating their clients.
Education about safe sex and absence is the most effective method taught in the health care field. Health care worker must be educated in the proper treatment of people who has the disease, or people who may have the disease; this category is everyone. Universal precaution is taught to health care professionals so they can protect themselves and others from the virus. Testing for the virus has also increased in the health care field; people who are sexual active today chose to be tested more even if they are married.
“The aging baby-boomer population and young adults should be tested even if they may not perceive themselves to be at risk for HIV infection so they can be referred for clinical care promptly if they are HIV-positive” (Valenti, 2008, Para 11). The increase in people living with the virus means the demand for HIV care and treatment will continue to grow in the health care field. This alone affects the health care field because the health care field already has a shortage of workers, which mean the demand for health care workers would be higher. Health Care Related Challenges.
An individual who has the HIV or AIDS viruses faces different challenges in one’s lives. Two health care related challenges people with aids face are longevity of their lives and the cost of medication. In the past people who acquired the virus did not live as long as people who has the virus today. Because people with the virus are living longer today, they face the challenges that older people face that put their health at risk or could cause death. Challenges like osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and kidney failure, Aging cause the victims to become frail.
The older a person becomes the higher his or her risks are for these diseases. For example, if a person with the AIDS acquire osteoporosis and falls and brake his or her hip, he or she have an increase chance of death from the fall because infection can happen at the site if surgery is required. The infection would be the cause of death to the elderly AIDS patient, not the osteoporosis. “With longevity comes a host of unexpected medical conditions, which challenge the prevailing view of AIDS as a manageable, chronic disease” (Gross, 2008, Para. 1).
The cost of medication also can be a challenge to the longevity AIDS population. The medications are expensive and people cannot afford their treatment. “People with AIDS are living longer and surviving long enough to qualify for Medicare. But Medicare does not pay for prescription medications, including the life-prolonging pharmaceutical therapies that people with AIDS need” (“Increase in aids patients with medicare creates new coverage challenges,” 1999, Para. 2). People of low income with AIDS had a hard time receiving medication whether the where old, young, or of different races.
According to U. S. Department of Health & Human Services (2012), “Historically, people living with HIV and AIDS have had a difficult time obtaining private health insurance and have been particularly vulnerable to insurance industry abuses” (Para. 1). Wellness Program That Affect Cost Wellness programs are programs aimed to help keep people healthy. Many organizations’ are offering wellness programs to their employees. Wellness programs may affect the cost of people with AIDS by reducing or eliminating new infected people with AIDS through education.
Wellness program engage their employees to have health checkups. Health checkups can help discover diseases before they are progressed, which causes a decrease in treatments and save cost for treatment. Wellness program can also decrease the cost for people who already have the virus. It is important to keep the immune system strong by being healthy. The program can teach AIDS patients to be healthy by eating correctly and exercising. If the AIDS patient is healthy as possible, he or she can decrease the risk of other infection and diseases.
The decrease in other infection and diseases also causes health care prices to decrease. Marketing needs and Addressing AIDS Challenges The demographics for people with AIDS addresses that the marketing needs and services for this population is highly needed. People need to be educated about the blood disease and educated about the different services they can receive. Advertisement and education about the blood disease is an excellent source to decrease the infection. Services like the wellness program, health classes about safe sex in schools, and education clinics are excellent sources for the community.
Safe sex practices are enforced in communities by giving away free condoms at certain clinical sites. Conclusion AIDS/HIV is a virus that affects the immune system causing the body to be at risk for infection and disease. The main targeted people for the blood disease were gay men followed by intravenous drugs users. Today African Americans are the highest culture with the virus followed by the Latino race. People with the blood disease are living longer because of drugs and treatment for the virus. Education is the key to keeping the virus under control.
References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). HIV in the united states: at a glance. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/us. htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Today’s hiv/aids epidemic. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/HIVFactSheets/TodaysEpidemic-508. pdfGross, J. (2008, January 6). Aging aids patients face new health challenges: [Palm Beach Edition]. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/docview/387676634? accountid=35812.
Increase in aids patients with medicare creates new coverage challenges. (1999, February). Health Care Strategic Management, 17(2), 6. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/docview/226910440? accountid=35812 U. S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2012). The affordable care act helps people living with aids/hiv. Retrieved from http://aids. gov/federal-resources/policies/health-care-reform/ Valenti, W. M. (2008, August). Impact of changing demographics of hiv/aids on role of primary care. The AIDS Reader, 18(8), 402-404,412.