Health and Disease KQ2 and KQ3 (HIV) Flashcards
What is HIV/AIDS?
- Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks cells of the immune system by destroying white blood cells critical in fighting infection
- Immune system loses ability to fight infection, causing Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the final stage of HIV
- Body prone to infections, basic diseases cause death
- HIV/AIDS lasts for a lifetime, no known cure
- HIV-positive persons may not develop symptoms for 9-10 years
- HIV may develop into AIDS
How is HIV/AIDS transmitted?
- Transmitted via blood/bodily fluids
1) Sexual contact
- Most common form of HIV/AIDS transmission
- If partner has STD, risk of infection even higher since immune system already weakened
2) Sharing of infected needles
- Increasing in many DCs
- Accounts for 1/3 of HIV/AIDS infections in North America, China, Eastern Europe
3) Blood transfusions
- Accounts for 5-10% of infections worldwide
- 250-500 people in Africa infected each day from tainted blood
4) Pregnant mothers to baby
- Placenta membrane does not allow HIV virus to pass to unborn child
- Cross contamination of blood and breastfeeding btwn mother and child spread virus
- 25% of babies born to HIV-positive mothers have HIV
Extent and spread of HIV/AIDS
- Spread via expansion and relocation diffusion
- 40million people living with HIV/AIDS in 2021
- 54% of HIV-positives women and girls
- 51% new infections in sub-Saharan Africa
Groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS
1) Infants and children
- 3.4 million living with HIV/AIDS, 390,000 infections per year
2) Women
- 2x more likely than men to contract HIV/AIDS during sex
- More likely to be subjected to sex w/o consent
3) Uneducated
- Lack sexuality education and awareness
- Not knowledgeable about preventive measures/safe sex
4) People participating in risk-taking activities
- Sharing infected needles
- Many sexual parties
Factors contributing to spread of HIV/AIDS
> Social
1) Social stigma
2) Education
3) Lifestyle choices
4) Lapses in medical procedures
> Economic
1) Vice trade
2) Mobility
3) Globalisation
4) Tourism
SF: Social stigma
- Extreme disapproval associated with particular circumstance/quality of person
- Discrimination, rejection, expulsion causes:
1) Refusal to HC/HS
2) Rejection by family and community
3) Expulsion from school, sacked from job
4) Denial from housing - Impedes early intervention and treatment
- May find prostitutes to avoid prejudice
- Continues to infect people via expansion diffusion
SF: Education
- Lack of education, unaware how disease is transmitted
- Do not know how to protect and avoid infection
- Continue risk taking activities
- Cultural practices may prevent women from knowing about sex and sexuality until marriage, making women susceptible to STDs, HIV/AIDS etc
e.g. Nigeria, discussion about sex deemed inappropriate, no sex-ed
SF: Lifestyle choices
- Drug injections, sharing of needles and drug paraphernalia
- Refusal to practice safe sex
- Refuse to test for diseases
- Drug injection raise risk of contracting HIV/AIDS by 35x
- Drug and alcohol intoxication leads to impaired judgement, resulting in unsafe sexual practices
SF: Lapses in medical procedure
- Mistakes, corruption and negligence associated w/ medical practices
- 5-10% infections transmitted by blood transfusions tainted with HIV/AIDS
- Result from no effective blood screening before donation
e.g. 1/1.5million in USA are exposed to HIV from medical containers and syringes
EconF: Vice trades
- Business activities involving illegal drugs/commercial sex work
> Commercial sex workers
e.g. China, females from villages to cities in search of work have limited education and job training
- Resort to commercial sex work due to lack of options
- Sex workers 30x more likely to acquire HIV
> Drug trafficking
- Increases chances of sharing needles w/ infected people w/o knowing
- Drug abusers 35x more likely to acquire HIV
EconF: Mobility
- Movement of people from one place to another, often for work reasons
- Determined by type of work
- Workers who leave families behind, living in foreign place, feel socially excluded get involved in risk-taking activities (i.e. prostitution, heavy drinking)
EconF: Globalisation
- Development of transportation aids in relocation diffusion
- HIV relocated more rapidly across globe
EconF: Tourism
- Tourist industry causes relocation
- Tourists more likely to take risks outside of home
- Drink more/ unsafe sex practices
e.g. Queensland, Australia, 2010
- Highest incidence of HIV/AIDS (206 cases)
- Tourist travelled to Papua New Guinea, a destination w/ high HIV prevalence
Impacts of HIV/AIDS
> Social
1) Life expectancy and IMR
2) Orphan crisis
> Economic
1) Cost of HC
2) Loss of productivity
SI: Life expectancy and IMR
- Increased deaths, decreased life expectancy, population size and slows population growth, IMR increased
- Large number of deaths in LDCs where HIV/AIDS is prevalent
e.g. Sub Saharan Africa
- Life Expectancy decreased 6 years
- Projected decrease of 10.8 years by 2025
- Availability and awareness of treatment has improved over the years, life expectancies increasing, IMR decreased