Social issues cut across a large spectrum of our daily lives, cutting across from human to local area development. In the exploration of considering topics to research on, the researcher looked at the topics which are most relevant to this generations and future generations and settled on these three areas: these are potential topics that were looked into
Child Abuse
Teenage Pregnancy
HIV
Child abuse
The first topic was Child abuse which 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 33). 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.
Research shows that children are mostly abused by people who are either members of their family or people close to their families. These people usually take advantage of the trust that they have earned from the children or the trust of their parents. They bully the children by instilling fear in them. Fear is a powerful motivation for people to keep the information to themselves. The abuser also does their best to discredit the children to their guardians this gives them insurance against being believed. When such cases are reported it is hard to prosecute the abuser because of a lack of proof this leaves it to the psychologists to evaluate and provide proof. Sometimes the signs of psychological abuse are not evident for prosecution. Although there has been progress it is not enough to ensure or prevent the abuse of children. Sometimes the authorities tasked with the protection of families and children fail to take the allegations seriously or they lack the resources to pursue the cases.
Child abuse is a precursor to severe long and short term effects. The abuse may lead to withdrawal, depression, poor scores at school, poor interpersonal skills these are short term effects. The long term effects include falling into drug and alcohol addiction, a tendency towards violence and aggression, inability to function in social situations among others.
There is a prevalence of child abuse in most boroughs. In the past abuse was taken as just being physical and bodily harm imposed on a person. Today abuse has evolved to involve psychological and emotional abuse. The signs of physical abuse are usually more visible and likely to leave visible marks that are easily identifiable. Emotional and psychological abuse on the other hand leaves emotional scars. They leave the victims unable to function in their normal mental capabilities. Abusers have also evolved today they are aware of the various forms of abuse and how they can incapacitate their victims.
Although there is a lot publicity about the nature of child abuse people are still afraid to talk about it. They do not take it seriously and when they witness such cases, they assume it is the responsibility of others. There is also a tendency of people to cast blame on others. This is a topic that needs to be researched, however because this is a college project. The researcher chose to research on the prevalence of HIV infections among the youth. The age of the researcher and their proximity to people with HIV contributed to the choice of research topic.
Teen pregnancy
The second topic was Teen pregnancy, which is a situation associated to 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.
Teenage pregnancies are a problem within the United Kingdom. Statistics show that there is a large number of young teenage girls and young women are reported to fall pregnant every year. The increase in the use of technology and the liberalization as well as open mindedness of people has led to teenagers becoming more sexually active at a very tender age. In today’s world most parents focus on their careers they work long hours and do not have the time to talk to their children about the dangers of being sexually active. They do not talk about how they can take care of themselves. This leaves the young people to find the information for themselves; the information is sometimes unreliable. Young people tend to find information from their peers rather than consulting adults or health care workers who may have the correct information. This increases the chance of them taking risks and exposing themselves to unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infections. Despite the increase in the access to family planning methods and information there is still a high rate of these pregnancies. There are also a large number of reported cases of abortion among young girls and women who have yet to reach menopause. Some of the women choose to have abortions. Those who can afford it go to health clinics where they can have it done by a doctor and the medication they need. However, younger school going women may not have access to the finances needed to take care themselves. Sometimes they may decide to use crude methods to have the abortions. This leads to the death of the young women and health complications.
The reasons girls get pregnant at this tender age is related to the current sexual activities; sex education they have received regarding 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. Teen pregnancies lead to the stigmatization of the young women. They become a prairie in they become a prairie in their communities and are unable to have a normal life like their peers. Teenage pregnancies are prevalent in boroughs that have the lowest incomes. While some of the young adolescents may choose to have abortions, others choose to carry the pregnancies to term. This puts them at risk because of their age and since their bodies are not fully developed to maintain the pregnancy to term or to endure the strain of childbirth. It also robs them of the chance to complete their education. 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 and the education of the teen as well. 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" 1)
Identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project selection.
HIV is becoming more common and because young people are more communally sexually active. The research will be emphasised on HIV. This topic was considered because, HIV is an ongoing pandemic, which is constantly being researched, and the research could in later days be studied to educate the society on its effects, preventions and control. Secondly, there is the story of a lady who contracted the disease and this was a way to help tell her story and reach out to the society on HIV. This story could never be talked about enough. The point of this research is to educate young people on the risks of contracting HIV, the preventive measures and how to live positively once they have been diagnosed.
Researchers have found out that HIV may have been identified in some species of Chimpanzee found in Central Africa that might have been the source of HIV infection to humans. It is said that around the 18th-century hunters and gatherers from Africa may have come into contact with the blood of the particular species of chimpanzees, which had a virus known as the Simian Immunodeficiency syndrome or SIV. Over the decades, the virus spread all over Africa, and it mutated to become HIV, which was an epidemic in the world around in 1970s by that time it had spread into the western countries and the United States.
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
Explain what barriers I may have while doing the research for example it may cost money to print out questionnaire or finding out information I may need to travel to hand out my questionnaire which I have to pay bus fare, are there any available resources or when is time to print out the questionnaire
Other barriers include the costs involved in making and printing questionnaires. The costs will 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 to West End especially because the researcher has to contact each participant personally which takes time. As such the researcher 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.
The researcher is also at risk because she or he doesn’t not know either of the two boroughs very well. She or he have not been to either of the boroughs before. She may get lost despite having researched about the culture and topography of the area. In addition, she does not know the nature of the people or their likelihood to respond to a stranger. She or he is also at risk of losing her stuff or getting lost on the roads or streets within the boroughs.
It is also difficult for the researcher to find people to help her or him with the research. Due to the limited budget of the research it would be difficult to get enough research assistants to help out. Even if there are available they would have to be local and with enough knowledge about the area. It is difficult to find competent researchers who will be impartial and unbiased to help out with the research.
It is also difficult to select a research method for the research. Despite choosing a topic for research the researcher has to determine which method to use to gather information for the research. Another problem that the research may experience is the difficulty in choosing a method of analysing the data collected during the research.
Undertake a critical review of key references
According to AVERT organization they presented this information that have been associated to 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 a virus that infects attacks and destroys the human immune system, 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.
Explain what you understand about this article and how is related to my topic
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."
- 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 centre 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, 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.
You need to provide clear aims and objectives and how you will undertake your primary research
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 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 borough 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 conducting 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 analysed to verify data collected in weeks 3 and 4 respectively. Data collected is sorted with respect to the 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 HIV
Human Immune Deficiency HIV is the virus that causes AIDS- Acquired Immune Deficiency. AIDS 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. The virus is pretty adaptable and evolutionary which has made it very difficult to come up with inoculation and a cure.
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 are 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. According to public health statistics about 95% of new HIV infections in the UK are through sexual contact. There is also a low possibility of contracting HIV through oral sex and sharing sex toys.
Once a person suspects that they are infected. They should get tested to be sure that they are either negative or positive, so that they can make decisions about how to move forward with their lives. HIV is tested using a sample of either blood or saliva for signs for evidence of the virus in the body.
Although there is no cure or immunization for HIV people who suspect that they are infected can take precautions to prevent the infection. Today there is a post exposure prophylaxis which can prevent infection up to within three day of suspected exposure. It prevents infection by taking the medicine for about two weeks. This therapy was mainly developed for medical professionals and for rape victims these are two groups that are vulnerable to exposure to HIV infections. After the initial test one is given a widow period of about three months post exposure to make sure that they are really negative. Tests can be done by general physicians, sexual health clinics or clinics specializing in voluntary, counselling and testing of HIV. There are home sampling test kits that patients can buy and take the test themselves. The type of test determines the amount of time it will take to find out the results.
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. (McGuire 1). The period it takes for the most severe symptoms to manifest. These symptoms include fever, diarrhea, 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 a person have HIV, they get it for the rest of their 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 (Aids.gov ). The more severe manifest after a long while, especially if the patient takes their medication (Trust 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. (Aids.gov).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. Anti-retroviral work by preventing the replication of the virus in the body. It allows the body to repair the damage caused by the virus. The drugs are taken on a daily basis (Trust 1). The drugs prevent people living with HIV from passing the virus to other people.
Types of support a person can get
People living with hive need a lot of support. The support helps them keep up with the medical appointments. A support system is an important aspect of living positively for infected people. The support comes from family and friends as well as their medical teams ("AIDS Journals | Peer Reviewed | High Impact Articles list” 1).
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.
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 counselors are qualified professionals. The online support platforms also have for a where the patients can hold discussions and ask questions about the challenges and symptoms that they are facing. Counselling is also provided for people with HIV in specialized clinics by qualified health professionals. The health professionals provided the infected people with information they need to live healthy and they help them adjust their lifestyle to ensure that they live a positive and healthy life (Trust 1).
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
The researcher handed out the questionnaires in the boroughs she 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 the person to know what was the audience take on the topic and to what extent they knew about it (Avert.org). 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.
Handing out the questionnaires makes it personal, and allows the researcher to ask questions where the questions are not clear. It also allows the researcher to ask questions about the research; it allows him or her to ask for clarifications and make commentaries on the questionnaires and the participants in general. However, the method is time-consuming for the researcher 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 121).
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 (Avert.org). 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).
Research shows that there is a lot of stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS infections. Stigma stems from the lack of information about the nature and effects of stigma by most health care workers, incomplete knowledge about HIV by most people and the association of HIV infection with immoral behaviour. The negative attitude of people towards people with HIV/AIDS, their relatives and their friends hinders them from being open about their situations or seeking help when they need it. It also hinders their aimed to live positively and take care of themselves (Nyblade et al. 15). Furthermore, there is a relationship between stigmatization suffered by HIV positive people and their likelihood to reveal this status to others, their adherence to the antiretroviral medication and the sexual risks they put themselves on a daily basis. There is a proportionate relationship between the stigma received and the victim’s psychological adjustment. The most severe stigma is usually the one that comes from the friends and families the attitudes projected by these people contribute to how the patient reacts to news of their positive status (Nyblade et al. 15). Despite the information on how infections occur people are still afraid of associating with and relating to people who are infected, this fear is the root of the stigma these people project. They fear that they may catch HIV through sneezing, coughing, sharing cutlery with infected people, they also share the school of thought that the people living with HIV deserve the illness as some sought of punishment. This kind of thinking has contributed to the stigma, alienation and maltreatment of positive patients.
A chart showing 5 people who are infected with HIV in Hackney Borough Clinic and 15 people who are not infected
7 people who are infected with HIV in Haringey borough and 12 who are not infected in Haringey
Explanation of what the chart is talking about
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 1). 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 out dated ("HIV/AIDS | Haringey Council" 1). However, this information shows that there is a higher prevalence of HIV in Haringey than in Hackney.
During the research, it emerged that 50% of the sample had taken a HIV test at some point in the previous year. They had taken the test due to workplace requirements, health insurance requirements, and pressure from their partner. Only 20 percent had taken the test out of their own volition. The data also showed that out of the sample of a hundred participants have had a relative or friend who had died or was infected with the virus.
Thirty percent of the sample was infected with HIV and were living positively. Forty percent were negative, and the rest were not comfortable sharing this information with others. Ninety percent of those infected had acquired it through unprotected sexual intercourse while they rested, had become infected through other means. Sixty percent of those infected were women. Ninety percent of the sample believed that it was possible to live a healthy life, even after infection and said that they would support their friend, relative or spouse if they were living with HIV.
The research determined that there has been a change of attitude towards those living with HIV. It also showed that there was a need to increase the awareness on the need to get tested and have protected sex at all times.
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)
The research used formative research tools to evaluate the HIV prevalence in the two boroughs and compared this research to the national database of the same. The research 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.
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 few programs that deal with infection rates among the youth, which means that they are not getting the necessary information (Bekalu and Eggermont 205). 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 and Eggermont 205). The research also determined that the 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.
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" 1). 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.
The high rates of infections among young people warrant increased sensitization campaigns within learning institutions. This will help create awareness and reduce risk taking behaviour that leads to new infections. The health departments can also adopt new methods to disseminate information and create dialogue among young people. Such methods include the use of technology, the internet and social media for which are likely to have more influence on people. In today’s world, people are more likely to look for information on the internet, as such the best the department of health can do to ensure that the information is accurate and helpful. Providing accurate information will be helpful in reducing the risks of new infections among young people. There is also a need for more research into how to make most sexual practices safer. This will help to reduce the number of new infections. There is also a need to adjust the curriculum in the medial institutions to ensure that it is more practical and that it prepares them to be more open minded. Most people are afraid of admitting their sexual preferences to their doctors and other medical professionals because they are afraid of being judged. By diversifying the scope of medical professionals it opens them up to conducting more research into how to help people be more protected from sexually transmitted illnesses especially HIV.
Given the effects of stigma on the people living with HIV/AIDS, it is necessary to carry out education and awareness of the individual, the societal level and on the policies that govern the healthcare sector that deal with HIV/AIDS.
Work Cited
AIDS.Gov, "What Is HIV/AIDS?". Aids.gov. N.p., 2016. 28 Apr. 2016.
AIDS Journals | Peer Reviewed | High Impact Articles list. 2016. Omicsonline.org. Retrieved 22 May 2016, from http://www.omicsonline.org/aids-clinical-research.php
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.
"HIV and AIDS - NHS Choices". Nhs.uk, 2016. Online. Internet. 27 May 2016. . Available: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/HIV/Pages/Introduction.aspx.
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
Trust, Terrence. "Symptoms of HIV | Terrence Higgins Trust". Tht.org.uk, 2016. Online. Internet. 27 May 2016. . Available: http://www.tht.org.uk/sexual-health/About-HIV/Symptoms-of-HIV.
Nyblade, Laura et al. "Combating HIV stigma in health care settings: what works?". JIAS12.1 (2009): 15. Online. Internet. 27 May 2016. .
