Social issues cut across a large spectrum of our daily lives, cutting across from human to local area development. In my exploration of considering topics to research on, looked at the topics which are most relevant to this generations and future generations. Settled on these three areas: this is potential topics looking into
Child Abuse
Teenage Pregnancy
HIV
Child abuse
The first topic was Child abuse is a term used to refer to mistreatment and acts of affliction on children. These are acts conducted by caregivers, guardians and parents of the child that often results to real problems and harm to a child. These acts range from physical abuse like bartering and bullying, sexual abuse that includes rape and sexual advances, psychological torture and in other instances negligence and lack of support. These acts of child abuse occur in homes, schools and communities that the child resides and can be conducted by any person ranging from peers, teachers, and other society members. In most developing countries, child abuse is increasingly considered a criminal offense that has rules and policies that exist to address the issue (Clark and Post 11 -27). Among different countries and nations, jurisdictions of what defines child abuse and what it encloses exist regarding the well-being of a child and what they should be protected from. Such rules and policies ensure that a child can be removed from their parents, guardians or caregivers and prosecution of the criminals, which is punishable by the courts of law that exist in any country. The point of this proposal was to find the prevalence of child abuse in middle income households.
Teen pregnancy
My second topic was Teen pregnancy; a situation associated with female adolescents, whereby they get pregnant on circumstances that deem them not mature to handle pregnancy for instances females of age twelve, thirteen or even fourteen. The results of teen pregnancy are brought about by a range of factors like their current situations, immediate surroundings, exposure and who they interact with in some cases peer pressure. The number of recorded teen pregnancies varies from country to country. The reasons girls get pregnant at this tender age is related to the current sexual activities; sex education they have received "disregarding the" availability of contraceptives (McDowell 5-48). Teen pregnancy brings with it a lot of complication both to the teenager and the child in question. These complications include low birth weight, social responsibilities, poverty, etc. this topic proposal was meant to find out the relationship between teenage pregnancy and middle income households as well as its relationship to the level of education of the teen’s parents. Croydon’s has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies currently.
HIV
The third topic Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a body condition which, if left unattended leads to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Unlike other viruses that the body combats and gets rid of them completely from the body, HIV cannot be destroyed completely by the immune system, thus once you have HIV you get it for the rest of your life. HIV attacks the body immune system cells known as CD4 that help the body fight and protect it against other infections and diseases (Chasi 10 -89). HIV does this by reducing the number of CD4 cell count, which weakens the immune system of the body and hinders other micro-organisms that prevent diseases from affecting the body.
At the moment, no cure has been formulated for this condition, making it a condition that is dangerous and incurable in a way that, it is among the leading conditions that is accusing most deaths annually around the globe. However, HIV is being controlled by the use of antiretroviral drugs that slow the rate at which the Virus destroys the CD4 cells, thus prolonging the lives of persons who have the virus. According to the national statistics hackney has a higher prevalence compared to Haringey (HIV/AIDS | Haringey Council)
Identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project a selection
The main reason as to why is important to research much about HIV and AIDS is because several people still do not believe in its existence. Through a testimonial of a young lady who acquired the virus at just a tender age in her early adulthood would work as a great example of the seriousness of the disease. The most challenging thing is that HIV virus is mostly affecting the youths since they have become ignorant about the whole issue. Another challenge affecting the youths is that most of them are at their sexually active stage and lacks the self-drive when faced with the issue about sex.
Therefore, it is important for the society to realize that HIV and aids virus is real and the task is on their side to educate teenagers and also other members in the society. In general public education on the seriousness of this disease should be made paramount and also if possible topics introduced in the school curriculums.
Resources Used
They include;
This type of resources can be found in World Bank that offers a comprehensive database of the effects of the Virus. www.worlbank.com
Another source that I will be using is the World AIDS Organization that offers insight to the Virus, its spread and further effects globally. www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics
Barriers and hindrances
While performing the research project barriers and hindrances occur in gathering information and other aspects of the project. To get the right research project, a lot of information is required and at the same time the information should be accurate. To get this a lot of extensive research will need to be done, which comes hand in hand with cost and expenses. For instance, to get the required information one is to invest in the relevant books required, publications and subscriptions that will offer this information. Apart from these expenses, validation processes of the credibility and accuracy of the information obtained cannot be verified easily to ensure that the research projected submitted is quality (McGuire S 121-9).
This research project will emphasis on credibility and accuracy, and enough time is required to collect information, organize the information and later present it as a research project.
Other barriers are it will cost me to print the questionnaires. The costs might be extremely high and there is no way to make an accurate budget because there is no definite sample size. It is hard to estimate the number of questionnaires that will be damaged by the participants. It is also hard to estimate the costs involved to travel, especially because I may have to contact each participant personally which takes time. As such I may have to go to the borough over several days. There may also be other barriers, including the insistence of the participants to maintain their anonymity; they may also be unwilling to disclose their personal information and their HIV status.
Undertake a critical review of key references
According to AVERT organization they presented this information that has been associated with HIV.
Critical review of key references
Explain what you understand about this article and how is related to my topic
According to AVERT organization they presented this information related to HIV:
HIV is an infection that contaminates attacks and destroys the immune system of humans, which is our body's characteristic barrier against ailment. At the point when human gets tainted with the infection, the virus attacks the cells that protect the body from being attacked by diseases. The body thus is unable to fight off the different virus that invades the weak body of a person. The infection obliterates a sort of white platelet known as the T-helper cell and multiplies inside a person’s body. T-helper cells are additionally alluded to as CD4 cells. The article also talks about how the virus affects the patients and the willingness of the patients to talk about the disease and how it is affecting them physically and psychologically (Avert.org).
There is an assortment of strains of HIV – people who are infected may pass on various different strains in their body. These are requested into sorts, with piles of social occasions and subtypes.
The two crucial sorts are:
• HIV-1: This is the most widely recognized virus that have been discovered around the world
• HIV-2: This is discovered mostly in Africa especially, the West Africa, and some cases in India and Europe."
It is important to understand the different types of viruses since in knowing more about the disease, one has to be able to distinguish these strains. Also, it is interesting to realize that the strains appear differently in different regions, with Hiv-2 commonly in Africa.
- See more at: http://www.avert.org/about-hiv-aids/what-hiv-aids#sthash.cLqL6HPS.dpuf
Key references
According to, https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/what-is-hiv-aids/, the website is an accredited government organization that relates to HIV. Based on this fact, this source has credible information regarding HIV that can be used to derive a proper research project.
The center for disease controls http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/ has also been marked as an essential reference. This is because the organization has credible information regarding many human ailments and condition. It has a team of credible researchers, and scientists who provide reliable, up to date and enough information related to HIV and on top of it the source has a comprehensive database of Statistical analysis showing the spread of HIV, Effects, and other numerical data globally.
The article also talks about the prevalence of the virus among different people within the two boroughs. It also provides a baseline for determining which area is most affected using statistics, economic effects, and emotional toll on the family as well as the age range of those infected.
Produce a research project specification
The project research will be explaining the meaning of HIV, its origin, prevention and ways of transmission and effects. This will enable the target audience to understand the main concepts of the research project at a glance and most importantly, what I will be covering in the later subtopics of the project.
Run statistical analysis to produce numerical figures related to the spread of HIV, lives lost per year and preventive measures, due to the virus. This will enable the reader to understand the many effects of the virus and what makes it significant to other places than others. Furthermore, this will help the readers understand that the virus is a global pandemic. The aim of the research is to determine which borough is most affected by the virus. The primary research will be carried out by handing out questionnaires in the two boroughs. The aim is to find out which boroughs have got the highest HIV Haringey or Hackney and which borough will need more help.
Provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research specification
Monthly time table
The above timetable is required so as to give an insight and plan of what activity the research will be conducted during specific times. This will ensure that the research project will be completed during the specified time and that nothing will have been omitted.
In week 1, the researcher gathered information regarding the topic and setting out a structured layout for execution of the project. After the layout and information has been completed, he or she takes it to his or her supervisor to approve the topic and verify his or her plan of action. Preparation of questionnaires and handing out of these questionnaires for the required information to be collected is done in week 2 and all these questionnaires handed out will be compiled and analyzed to verify data collected at weeks 3 and 4 respectively. Data collected is sorted with respect to age ranges of the sample population investigated to help in performing the statistical analysis easily in week 5. In week 6, relevant parts of the data collected is aggregated to fit the project main aspects, which enables me to begin the write up of the project and drawing inferences from the project in week 7. Finally, review of final write up, spells checks, formatting,
What is H.I.V?
This is an infection that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency. The illness suppresses the patient’s immune system responsible for fighting most infections in the body, leaving them prone to other illnesses that eventually lead to death. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a dangerous disease since it affects the cd4 cells in the body, responsible in fighting diseases. This therefore leaves the body in a weak condition unable to prevent itself from even the slightest form of illness.
Cause of HIV
The virus is spread through contact with the mucous membranes and the semi epidermal cells with infected bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk (Aids.gov). In Britain the most prevalent method of HIV transmission is through having unprotected sexual intercourse, the sharing needles are also another cause of HIV infections (Avert.org). It is also spread within gay relationships. Mother to child transmissions is not as dominant, especially in the cases where the pregnant ladies attend prenatal clinics since HIV screening is mandatory. It is not spread through regular contact with infected people, swimming pools, kissing, mosquito bites or sharing of cutlery.
The signs and symptoms
HIV is a virus that suppresses the immune system, leaving it prone to attacks by various illnesses. Therefore, the symptoms manifested in various patients are as a result of these attacks rather than a result of the virus itself. It lowers the body’s defences for other bacterial and viral diseases. The symptoms of HIV infection only manifest a few weeks after infection at which point the individual may experience muscle aches, fever, headaches, rashes or swelling of the lymph glands. These symptoms often go unnoticed for long because of their similarity to other viral infections. (Medwiser 1). The period it takes for the most severe symptoms to manifest. These symptoms include fever, diarrhoea, weight and chronic appetite loss, fatigue and lethargy. Unlike other viruses that the body combats and gets rid of them completely from the body, HIV cannot be destroyed completely by the immune system. Thus, once you have HIV, you get it for the rest of your life. HIV attacks the body immune system cells known as CD4 that help the body fight and protect it against other infections and diseases. HIV does this by reducing the number of CD4 cell count, which weakens the immune system of the body and hinders other micro-organisms that prevent diseases from affecting the body (Medwiser 1).
How HIV is treated
Treatment of HIV is done by taking a mixture of medications so as to battle the infection called antiretroviral therapy. This however is not a cure, but rather a strategy to control the infection, making the contaminated individual live more, and lessen the danger of transmitting the infection to others. The drugs are called HIV regiments and are taken daily as prescribed. The HIV medicines boost the immune system and the body is able to fight off infections that try to attack the body. (Medwiser 1). The drug regiment is not a cure or a treatment for the illness instead it is meant to strengthen the immune system allowing it to fight multiple infections that would otherwise weaken the body.
Types of support a person can get
A person with HIV can get different types of support for example, enrolling themselves in federal programs for their care and treatment. People living with HIV can also access health care services that they need for their care and treatment through the affordable care Act. Peer support is another way through which people living with HIV can get help to cope with HIV. This is because through guiding of the affected persons on maybe the appropriate way of coping with the disease, they will be much more optimistic towards their health. On the other hand, when concern is shown to sicker patients, they develop the feeling of them being accepted in the society and therefore they would not succumb to trauma through isolation.
Counselling is provided on various government and NGO sponsored online sites. They provide the patients with 24/7 support for any issues they may be facing the counsellors are qualified professionals. The online e support platforms also have for a where the patients can hold discussions and ask questions about the challenges and symptoms that they are facing.
Example of my Questionnaire
Please can you tick the box to answer which best suits you or write in the space provided.
All answers are kept confidential and will not be passed on to anyone. This is a research that is looking for ways to improve.
Section 1
Question 1: Which age group do you belong to?
18-24
25-34
Prefer not to say
Question 2: Do you live in London
Yes
No
If NO please specify___________________________________________________________________________________
Question 3: Have you got HIV (if yes, go to question 5)?
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
Question 4: Do you know anyone that got HIV?
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
Question 5: How long have you had it HIV?
Prefer not to say
Question 6: What type of symptoms do you experience?
Question 7: What treatment do you get?
Question 8: How did you get infected?
Question 9: Did you know about HIV before your infection?
Question 10: Are you sexually active and do you use protection?
Question 12: Are you aware of what HIV is?
Yes
No
Thank you for completing the questionnaire
I handed out the questionnaires in the boroughs i chose to hand it out were Haringey and Hackney clinic because there’s more young people there, particularly in Haringey where there are many people, thus increasing the sample size and the likelihood that it represented the wide demographic variety of people living in the borough. The main aim of the research project is to find which borough have the highest HIV and which borough need to draw awareness to the HIV pandemic on its causes, preventive methods among others, hence, the questions in the questionnaire enabled me to know what was the audience take on the topic and to what extent they knew about it (Medwiser 1). The age ranges were adapted with the mind-set of them being the predominately sexually active category, and also, they are the next generation to whom the attention on HIV should be drawn. It was conducted through the use of questionnaires that I handed out at random. The participants were required to fill out the questionnaires which contained close-ended questions with the option of not revealing personal information where they were not comfortable doing so.
Issuing out of the questionnaire is important as it helps in getting vast information concerning the problem being researched. It also allows one to ask for clarifications and make commentaries on the questionnaires and the participants in general. However, the method is time-consuming for me and relies on the ability to be unprejudiced and impartial. In addition, to which she or he is less likely to be truthful for fear of being judged. The researcher may also face challenges of the selected sample size being prejudiced and unwilling to cooperate (McGuire
There are a high number of individual newly infected with the HIV in Haringey are young people aged between the age of eighteen and twenty-four. This is due to a need to explore their sexuality, and they tend to be reckless, especially because of drug and alcohol influence. They also tend to experiment with injectable drugs. It also shows that majority of middle-aged people who are infected acquired the virus when they were between age 18-24 (Medwiser 1). There is a need to lay down communication channels that allow young people access to the information as well as access to protection. Research shows that young women are more vulnerable to the risk of HIV infections. There is a need to empower women to have the ability to say no unprotected sex and equip them with the means to protect themselves. This will entail giving them sufficient knowledge of how to deal with situations where they think they might be in danger of infection. Self-defence classes to fight off when they believe that they are at risk of rape and issuing them with condoms as well as eliminating the shame associated with asking for or buying condoms (Avert.org).
This is a pie chart showing 5 people in Hackney infected with HIV
A chart of 7 people infected with HIV in Haringey Borough, 12 not infected in Haringey
The research showed that out of 20 people interviewed in hackney five of them were infected and out of 19 people interviewed in Haringey seven were infected (Mohammed, 2016). This shows a disparity with the national databases that provided this information. However, it could mean that the people were not very forthcoming about their status with the researchers or that the national database was outdated ("HIV/AIDS | Haringey Council", 2016). However, this information shows that there is a higher prevalence of HIV in Haringey than in Hackney. The charts are important in this research as they act as a physical representation of the situation out there in the field.
You must now demonstrate your ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate the findings of your data collation to form valid conclusions and make justified recommendations. In order to do this you must demonstrate the following:
Use appropriate research evaluation techniques, e.g. formative/summative, formal/informal, internal/external, etc. (3.1)
I used formative research tools to evaluate the HIV prevalence in the two boroughs and compared this research to the national database of the same. I looked into the lifestyles of the participants and its contribution to either infection or non-infectious; diagnosed or undiagnosed cases. It also sought the opinion of the participants on the issues they saw as important as well as their likelihood to actively seek information on positive living if they were infected. Therefore, individuals were to give their views on how they would cope if they realised that they are affected with the virus. Through the research done in comparison with the national database, there were few disparities as the issues are all the same. Individuals according to the research contribute largely towards getting affected with HIV virus. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of the governments to promote the HIV awareness campaigns.
Interpret, analyse and evaluate the results of your research in relation to the original research specification to make valid, reliable and justified conclusions (3.2)
The research determined that there was a need to create more awareness among the young people on the rate of infection and the preventive measures that can be taken. There were a few programs that deal with infection rates among the youth, which means that they are not getting the necessary information (Bekalu & Eggermont). The research determined that most of the youth interviewed would have preferred to go to a youth clinic rather than a clinic that catered for people of all ages. They cited stigma and communication barrier as their main reasons. As such this research recommends the need to establish more youth clinics that deal not only with HIV testing, but also with sexually transmitted illnesses was well as providing information on various sexual matters (Bekalu & Eggermont). The research also determined that majority of the youth interview were students in various levels of education the researchers were tasked with asking theses students to rate and recommend changes that could improve the sex education in their schools. They recommended that sexual education be provided by health care professionals rather than regular teachers and that the schools should provide practical and up to date information on the same. This would be important as a specific teacher specialised on HIV and AIDS matters will be much concerned with the students’ interests. On the other hand the student will be confident in case of any clarification needed since they will be free to talk to a person they are used to rather than a stranger if in the case of a normal clinic.
Secondary research from local government databases and NGO records showed that about 1467 people aged between 15-59 years were infected with HIV at the time of the research. Of these it is estimated that for a thousand people 8.11 are diagnosed with HIV. On the other hand, in Haringey 1241 people in the same age bracket were diagnosed with a prevalence rate of 6.88. As such Hackney has a higher prevalence late that Haringey ("HIV/AIDS | Haringey Council", 2016). It has the ninth highest HIV prevalence in London.
Make supported recommendations based on your research project, e.g. improvements based on your findings, recommendations to improve the research process, justify areas for further consideration as research proposals, etc. (3.3) To prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS infections in the two areas it is recommended that the local government, NGOs in the area and the national government collaborate to create new and enhanced programs that provide information as well as counselling and testing services for all. They also need to demystify some sexual preferences and educate the health workers of how to deal with such patients as well as how HIV is spread within these practices. More research needs to be carried out on the number of new infections in the two boroughs among specific groups such as LGBT, teenagers, young adults and how they are coping with the infections and the type of support, if any they get from their peers and family members. It should also be carried out on the amount of access they have to information and treatment they need for the opportunistic diseases. Therefore, the government is the institution that is highly responsible in ensuring that the HIV epidemic is dealt with. They should come up with laws and also ideas on helping their citizens being much aware of the disease. On the other hand they should provide ARVs to those that are already affected with the disease among other specialised attention. Through this the healthy citizens will be much cautious about their health.
Work Cited
AIDS.Gov, "What Is HIV/AIDS?". Aids.gov. N.P., 2016. 28 Apr. 2016.
Avert.Org, Avert. "What Are HIV And AIDS? | AVERT". Avert.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Bekalu, Mesfin Awoke, and Steven Eggermont. "The Magnitude of HIV/AIDS Problem vis-à-vis the Number and Nature of Studies on Mass Media Prevention Efforts across the Globe-a Descriptive Review." Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies 3.1 (2013): 205. Web. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
Chasi, Colin. HIV. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Print.
Clark, Nancy A and B. Bryan Post. The Forever Child. [Upland, Calif.]: [Clark Tales], 2003. Print.
"HIV/AIDS | Haringey Council". Haringey.gov.uk. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 May 2016.
McDowell, Pamela. Teen Pregnancy. New York, NY: Crabtree Pub. Co., 2011. Print.
McGuire, C H. "Contributions And Challenges Of Medical Education Research". Academic Medicine 71.10 (1996): S121-9. Web.
Mohammed, Syma. "Call For More Testing With Hackney HIV Rates Well Above UK Average". Hackney Gazette. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 May 2016
Medwiser.org.2016 web.21 may 2016.
