HIV/AIDS in Pembroke Pines, FL

In recent years, Pembroke Pines in Florida has experienced a higher prevalence of HIV infections among younger adults. The issue highlights how the community is facing some serious risk factors that have contributed to the severity of the problem. The risky sexual lifestyle has been associated with the incidences, which capture more cases of unprotected sex. The higher numbers of female sex workers and men who have sex with men (MSM) in Pembroke Pines also highlight the concerns that have made the scenario more serious. An in-depth analysis of the problem shows how there is a need for the stakeholders to intervene and initiate appropriate measures to minimize the spreading of the infections. This paper evaluates the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Pembroke Pines and identifies some of the behavioral risks that have contributed to the problem and the effective evidence-based strategies that can assist the community in overcoming the issue.

HIV/AIDS within Broward County

Pembroke Pines is a city in Broward County in Florida, which might portray an extensive awareness of the issue. In fact, Florida is one of the leading states that has encountered higher numbers of patients with HIV/AIDS. The scenario captures the severity of the issue and the way that more people might contract the virus if the stakeholders do not undertake appropriate initiatives. In 2017, 116, 944 people in Florida had HIV/AIDS and 45.6% of the group were African Americans, 29.0% were Whites while 23.3% were Hispanics (Florida Health, 2019b). As a result, African Americans portray a higher number, which shows the need for the community to come up with appropriate measures to address the problem. In the entire group, 72.5% were men while 27.5% were women, which shows how the male gender seems to suffer more (Florida Health, 2019b). Evidently, women have made an effort to reduce the incidences of the infections among the population by undertaking other necessary measures. In the population of male adults and adolescents, the men who have sex with men (MSM) made up 69.3% of the ones affected by HIV infections (Florida Health, 2019b). These numbers highlight a serious problem since such statistics are quite high in a specific population segment. The higher numbers also prove that the risky sexual lifestyle has worsened the situation. Members of the MSM population have failed to prioritize the essence of protected sexual intercourse, thereby contributing to most of these problems. Furthermore, cities like Orlando, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale were in the Ten American Cities that had higher new HIV diagnoses (Cohen, 2018). Hence, the prevalence reveals how the community is most likely to experience other serious implications if the stakeholders fail to offer immediate interventions that are necessary for such circumstances.

A comparison of Broward County to other global areas reveals how other regions are struggling to cope up with the circumstances that are affecting poor communities. For instance, African countries have encountered some higher numbers of patients and families that are struggling due to the higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS. In 2017, sub-Saharan Africa experienced 75% of the deaths associated with HIV and 65% of new infections while the region has 71% of the ones affected by the disease in the world (Dwyer-Lindgren et al., 2019). Furthermore, in 2009, around 33.2 million people from around the world were living with HIV (Martin et al., 2013). The numbers highlight how sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a serious problem that requires appropriate solutions. Although Florida has been encountering higher numbers of patients with HIV/AIDS in comparison to the entire nation, it is evident that African countries are dealing with a serious pandemic instead. Hence, the situation also shows that the stakeholders in Pembroke Pines still have enough time to transform the community and help residents overcome the problem. The involvement of community leaders, parents, teachers, and religious leaders can offer an in-depth understanding of the issue and the appropriate measures to adopt in such circumstances.

The Factors That Contribute to the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS

The exchange of bodily fluids and unprotected sex has been the most serious factors that have contributed to the health care issue. However, various behavioral incidents among the residents have even resulted in the severity of the situation due to the lack of extensive involvement of the residents and awareness, too. Vaginal and anal intercourse has been the common behavioral risks that have contributed to higher incidences of HIV/AIDS in the community (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Most importantly, unprotected sex has made it difficult for society to limit the extent of infections that are arising. For instance, most residents have ignored the risk of spreading the virus due to a reckless sexual lifestyle that is inappropriate.

Ignorance among residents of Pembroke Pines has also been another major concern that has undermined the risk of other individuals encountering the virus. Based on the statistics, it is evident that most of the residents affected by the people come from the MSM population. Unfortunately, a significant number of victims do not understand that unprotected sex is a serious behavioral risk that is undermining their health. Furthermore, multiple sexual partners might increase the likelihood of individuals acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Hence, ignorance about such circumstances might increase the chances of contracting the HIV infection in the end. Maintaining one sexual partner can play an integral role in helping the community in reducing the problem from escalating. Instead, sexual partners will take the initiative to avoid unprotected sex that might increase the risk of contracting the infection.

Current Interventions to Target HIV/AIDS in Pembroke Pines

Broward County has offered an opportunity for the nurses and other medical providers to adopt extensive interventions that can help patients recover. In this case, HIV counseling, testing, and the use of PrEP have been the common interventions in Broward County (Florida Health, 2019a). These various approaches focus on the treatment of the disease and helping the patients overcome some other barriers that they might experience at that time. Most hospitals tend to utilize these approaches because they usually deal with patients. However, the tests should be made mandatory as a way of ensuring that the patients can understand their HIV status. From that point, they can adopt appropriate measures at an earlier stage before they end up affecting more people.

The AAA Non-Profit HIV/STD Testing in Pembroke Pines has been effective in educating residents about the essence of engaging in protected sexual intercourse. The organization usually interacts with patients on a daily basis that have experienced such issues. The non-profit organization has taken the initiative to undertake counseling and educate patients about the risks that they face in society by engaging in the risky sexual lifestyles that have been common in recent years.

The Scope and Role of Nursing in Current Interventions That Target HIV/AIDS

On the other hand, nurses will play an integral part in preventing the spreading of HIV and offering treatment to the ones that have infections. The ability to execute the responsibilities in a favorable manner can amount to positive outcomes. Most importantly, nurses can help patients with communicable diseases by undertaking accurate nursing diagnoses, introducing relevant nursing goals, and appropriate nursing interventions that they might require (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Hence, they can initiate the tests and help the patients understand how their mistakes might contribute to serious problems that will affect others. Furthermore, nurses that use evidence-based practices can assist mothers and infants avoid any adverse health implications that might arise (Kana, Doctor, Peleteiro, Lunet, & Barros, 2015). Even Maurer and Smith (2013) reveal that transmission of the HIV infections might occur during the prenatal or even the perinatal periods. Hence, extensive awareness about the risks that might arise during such circumstances should always be a priority among the nurses. Besides that, nurses should always focus on offering community-based interventions that are necessary for the patients to recover from different forms of illnesses (Birbeck, 2013). In such a scenario, nurses can focus on health promotion strategies that can inform patients about the serious implications that might arise if they do not adopt a favorable lifestyle approach.

The Evidence-Based Ways to Expand the Scope of Interventions to Target the Prevalence of HIV/AIDS

Although the treatment interventions are quite favorable, the preventive measures can offer effective initiatives to deal with the problem. Most importantly, frequent use of condoms and the extensive adoption of antiretroviral therapy can offer patients the right approach to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in the society. In fact, the interventions offer evidence-based approaches that are necessary for helping patients and medical providers deal with the problem effectively. The use of condoms more frequently and the antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the MSM population can minimize the rate of infections in the society (Tao, Liu, Li, Liu, & Wang, 2018). Most importantly, ART tends to lower the CD4 count, thereby helping the patients minimize the likelihood of spreading the infection to other individuals. The consistent use of condoms will ensure that the infected patients do not spread the virus to other innocent individuals.

A comparison of Pembroke Pines to the African countries highlight how the community has better forms of treatment that the patients can access. In sub-Saharan Africa, 34% of patients from east and southern African together with 60% of the west and central Africa have failed to receive advanced treatment on HIV (Dwyer-Lindgren et al., 2019). Most of these nations cannot afford the necessary forms of treatment that the patients might require, thereby resulting in other challenges. However, in Florida, the treatment services are available, but most of them usually begin the treatment process yet they will fail to adhere to the medication regimen strictly as expected (Cohen, 2018). Hence, in Florida, it is a matter of negligence and failure to initiate strict treatment adherence. Overcoming such problems will require extensive awareness programs that can educate the patients about the essence of following all the necessary guidelines to reduce the rate of the infections.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the discussion has covered how HIV/AIDS is a serious problem that might require the intervention from other stakeholders as a way of dealing with the issue before it escalates. In this case, nurses should place more emphasis on African Americans and the MSM population that has experienced a higher prevalence of the problem, thereby showing the need for appropriate measures. Evidently, Pembroke Pines is facing a serious problem and the stakeholders should also exhibit their commitment to dealing with the issue and seeking favorable solutions. The consistent use of condoms and the strict adherence to the ART intervention can offer the patients an opportunity to overcome some of the adverse health challenges that might arise in such circumstances.

References

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Tao, L., Liu, M., Li, S., Liu, J., & Wang, N. (2018). Condom use in combination with ART can reduce HIV incidence and mortality of PLWHA among MSM: a study from Beijing, China. BMC Infectious Diseases, 18(1), 124.