Hiv a Communicable Disease

HIV: A Communicable Disease HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a communicable disease that was once considered a death sentence years ago. It is a disease that is contracted by the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. Persons can be affected by the disease for years without knowing it. To date, blood tests that pick up the antibody is the only way of detecting it. Patients may be asymptomatic, which means the disease is present, however, symptoms are not. Many efforts have been made to control it and environmental factors that relate to the disease have been discovered. The influences of the lifestyle, socioeconomic status and disease management have also been reviewed. Research will reveal gaps and possible links to other resources to meet needs that are not locally available along with recommendations to expand the programs that communities offer to fill present and potential gaps. Public health departments are increasing efforts to reduce the threat of the disease which includes data findings, evidence-based intervention, and a plan to ensure quality health. By definition, a communicable disease is “a disease that is contagious and is transmitted by direct contact with a person that is infected or by contact with body fluids” (Webster, 2012).
In order to comprehend the seriousness of the spread of a communicable disease, it is important to know how it’s transmitted and the persons that are more susceptible to contract it. Once thought of a disease that only affected a certain class of people, HIV has now affected more heterosexual women. There are many men that are having bisexual relationships while married, which is causing the drastic increase in women. Environmental factors related to the disease have not been considered in the past, however, a study was done in Jackson, MS to assess the effect of selected factors such as climate, personal outlooks, guidelines, physical buildings,

References: Department of Health and Human Services. (Spring, 2011). Houston Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/strategy Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2011, Spring). Identify the Remedy Current Gaps in Community Resources for HIV Patients. Retrieved from http://www.ihi.org/ Merriam Webster Dictionary. (2013). Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from http://webster.com The Effects of Environmental Factors on Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. (2009, July). Env Resp Public Health, 6(7), 2041-2054. doi:10.3390/ijerph6072041