conduct a cultural self-assessment|Course hero helper

Posted: February 15th, 2023

elf-Assessment Paper

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a cultural self-assessment.

1. You will read each of the boxes in Chapter 2 of your textbook (one for each domain of the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence), answer these questions as they relate to you.
2. Remember to answer these questions from your personal perspective. At all times, explain why you do or do not adhere to the dominant cultural practices and beliefs of the ethnic group(s) with which you primarily identify.
3. If you do not wish to self-disclose a specific area from the Organizing Framework, indicate so instead of just not addressing it; of course, this should not happen very often.
   Your paper should be formatted per APA and references should be current (published within last five years) scholarly journal articles or primary legal sources (statutes, court opinions)

Submission Instructions:

• The paper is to be clear and concise and students will lose points for improper grammar, punctuation and misspelling.
• The paper is to be no shorter than 3 pages; nor longer than 5 pages in length, excluding the title, abstract and references page.
• Incorporate a minimum of 3 current (published within last five years) scholarly journal articles or primary legal sources (statutes, court opinions) within your work. Journal articles and books should be referenced according to APA style (the library has a copy of the APA Manual).The paper that I am writing about is based on one of the Healthy People 2030 area of concerns.

  Its main objectives will be on sexual transmitted infections with the focus on HIV and the

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  population and groups it is affecting the most. I will be explaining the negative affects its has on

  health populations, as well as plans and actions to possibly decrease the rate of infections within

  this high risk groups.

  Introduction

  Healthy People 2030 works by using evidence-based practice, to create goals to improve health

  and well-being over a ten-year span. For goals to be created, we must build on framework that

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  explains the main ideas and main functions to provide a context and rational for dealing with

  these ideas, as well as communicating the principles that support these decisions about Healthy

  People 2030 (Barna, 2020). This will help with access to facts and statistics that can promote

  changes in the health affairs of the U.S. population, which can help with goals and objectives for

  next decades to come. The priority will always be the most serious issues affecting health and

  wellbeing in general terms, that can be improved in the long run by using all available

  knowledge on the issue at hand.

  Healthy People 2030 health issue: Sexual Transmitted Infection

  Many sexual transmitted infections (STIs) can be prevented and cured, with abstinence and

  treatment. One STI that is preventable and treatable, but unfortunately does not have a cure now

  is, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). There are more than 20 million estimated new cases

  of STIs in the United States and there are currently 1.2 million people living with HIV (Healthy

  People, n.d.). Healthy People 2030 goals regarding STIs, including HIV, is preventing, treating,

  and improving the health and well-being of people who have them.

  We will be focusing on HIV and the affects it has on different groups and communities.

  To have an understanding on the topic we must know how it came about. HIV presented itself

  around 1981, it was noticed in a couple of gay males, who before the virus, were overall healthy

  adults. The men presented with Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia (PCP), a rare lung infection

  that researchers later linked to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Studies later found

  out that HIV, when left untreated can cause AIDS, with an average life span of 8 to 10 years

  without treatment. HIV can present itself with flu-like symptoms, such as: fever, chills, night

  sweats, and even unexplained rashes. If you test positive for HIV you can receive antiretroviral

  therapy (ART), it can bring the viral load to undetectable and prevent AIDS.

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  Contrast causes of disparities related to this health issues within populations

  We have come a long way since 1981 with HIV/AIDS crisis. We now know so much more than

  we knew back then, but there are still communities that has an unfair number with this disease.

  Many reasons that can cause this unfair number are things like race, sexual orientation, and

  poverty can unfortunately increase the risk of infection in a community. Access to good

  healthcare, cultural beliefs, stigma, homophobia, and systematic racism, can all cause infections

  like HIV to spread through a community (Myhre & Sifris, 2021). These groups are more at risk

  for infection and not getting treated. As mentioned before, around 1.2 million people are living

  with HIV in the United States, with over 36,800 new infections happening every year, the

  communities at the greatest risk being, men who have sex with men, people of color, women and

  those that inject drugs.

  Poverty has shown to increase the risk of infection, unless there are programs like

  community outreaches, health education, and test provided to help the impoverished more aware

  of the risk of infection, otherwise they remain vulnerable to it. Compared to wealthier

  communities that has more access to education and facilities that offer education and treatment.

  No less than 76% of people living with HIV in the United States have a household income of less

  than $20,000 annually, of this number 39% are unemployed, while 18% report homelessness

  (Myhre & Sifris, 2021). Racism in the United States has inevitably led to disparities between

  people of color. People of color has a double risk factor of having a higher number of HIV

  infection and high rates of poverty. The poverty rate for Black people currently is at 18.8%,

  compared to Whites whose rate stands 7.3% (Myhre & Sifris, 2021). According to the CDC

  (2022), in 2020 there were 30,635 new HIV diagnosis, among this number 42% were Blacks and

  27% are Latinos, compared to Whites who made up 26% of the new cases. It is said possibly due

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  to Blacks and Latinos, who are more likely to live in areas that are racially separated, because

  these areas have a higher rate of poverty, crime, drug use, and STIs, all of which can increase the

  risk of HIV infections. Poverty is not the only factor with this group, but also medical mistrust,

  homophobia, and the stigma of having HIV is very high in the Black community. Only 48% of

  Blacks with HIV remain in care after they are diagnosed, while only half of that number reach a

  level of undetectable viral load, compared to the White and Latino communities which numbers

  are drastically lower (Myhre & Sifris, 2021). Men who have sex with men make up a huge part

  of HIV cases. This is hugely due to the way they have sex; the risk is 18 times greater of getting

  the virus from unprotected anal sex, compared to having unprotected vaginal sex (Myhre &

  Sifris, 2021). Men who have sex with men also face various stigma and homophobia, which

  increases their risk for infection, because of the fear of being outed they may not get tested.

  Women, especially Black women are more susceptible to the virus because the area of the vagina

  has a larger surface area than the men’s penis. In a lifetime a Black women’s risk of HIV is 15

  times greater than that of white women and 5 times greater than Latino women (Myre & Sifris,

  2021). Injecting drug users make up a small amount of HIV cases, but they are still at a higher

  risk because of the potential of sharing needles and syringes with an infected person. It can also

  be very hard to manage HIV and an addiction at the same time. Compared to injection users that

  seek treatment, like methadone, are more likely to stick with their HIV regimen than those that

  don’t seek treatment.

   

SOLUTION

People 2030. One of the areas of concern within Healthy People 2030 is sexual transmitted infections (STIs), specifically HIV. In this paper, I will discuss the population and groups that are most affected by HIV, the negative impacts it has on their health, and potential plans and actions to decrease the rate of infections within these high-risk groups.

High-Risk Populations for HIV

HIV continues to be a major health concern in the United States, with approximately 38,000 new infections reported each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). While anyone can contract HIV, certain populations are at a higher risk. Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for the majority of new infections, with Black MSM being the most affected group (CDC, 2021). Other high-risk groups include people who inject drugs, transgender individuals, and those who engage in unprotected sexual activity.

Negative Impacts of HIV on Health Populations

HIV has significant negative impacts on the health of those infected. HIV attacks the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight off infections and diseases. If left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS, a condition that can be fatal. In addition to physical health impacts, HIV can also have significant psychological and social impacts on those living with the disease, including stigma and discrimination (Wagner et al., 2019).

Plans and Actions to Decrease the Rate of HIV Infections

To decrease the rate of HIV infections, various plans and actions have been implemented. One key strategy is to increase access to testing and treatment for those who are HIV-positive. Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve health outcomes for those living with HIV. Additionally, preventative measures such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and condoms can be effective in reducing the risk of HIV transmission (CDC, 2021).

Conclusion

HIV continues to be a significant health concern in the United States, with certain populations at a higher risk of contracting the disease. The negative impacts of HIV on the health of those infected, as well as on their social and psychological well-being, are substantial. However, through targeted plans and actions, such as increasing access to testing and treatment and promoting preventative measures, we can work to decrease