Unmet Needs for Management of HIV & TB - Essay Sample

Introduction

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) makes the body develop acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) that weakens the ability of the body to counter other infections and disease. HIV/AIDS has a stream of opportunistic diseases, Tuberculosis(TB) being the major one. Due to the lack of HIV/AIDS curative drugs, patients are frequently attacked by TB, which lowers their chances of survival even more. The high demand of the management mechanism of HIV and TB exposes the vulnerable members of the society. In the United States of America (US), some of the most affected minority groups are the Hispanic community in living in California, women taking center stage. The following literature helps in the comparative analysis of the relationship between HIV and TB among Hispanic women.

Literature Review

Metcalfe et al. (2013) indicate that there is always a connection between HIV and TB. The scholars' survey targeted California, the state with the highest population in the US, and developed a particular interest in Hispanic women. At the end of their research, they established a few deductions. Firstly, that AIDS is an epidemic among Hispanics, and it accounts for almost 2/3 women of the community living with HIV. The research was also able to link the lifestyle of the community to the prevailing health conditions. Most of the Hispanics lead miserable life characterized by a lack of proper healthcare conditions and even inadequate school information that would help them avoid HIV/AIDS and the subsequent TB. Secondly, by 2008, the Hispanics in California accounted for about one-quarter of all the HIV infections in the US. Lastly, that 57% of all TB-HIV infections, with 17% of the patients being women.

The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) also conducted different similar studies. Under its mandate, the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation research about the status of HIV infections in the US, and establishes a 15% annual increase among the US females in 2010. The website also notes that California as the fourth position among the top ten states with a high number of women living with HIV. Most of the women are Hispanic. In 2014, the organization's research gave indications similar to the cates that of Metcalfe et al., CDC indicates that the Hispanics accounted for 17% of the total number of California women diagnosed HIV, having a total of 40,242 people. These results ranked the Hispanics third in HIV infections, just two steps behind the whites and African-Americans, respectively. CDC was also able to link the reckless lifestyle of the Hispanics to HIV infections.

California's Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) (n.d.) 2016 survey established the population of the state as above 39,250,200. Women take half of the population. Out of the total California population, 38.9% are Hispanic with dare access to health services. About 10 % of the women lacked the requisite health insurance that would give them access to affordable health services. Important parameters include that the disabled population occupied almost 7 % of the population, and over 15 % of the sample are people whose lifestyle is below the poverty line. These statistics are critical in confirming HIV-TB cases with lifestyle.

Getahun et al. (2010) also did research that proved the prevalence of HIV infection and associated tuberculosis, and the general response of the population. The investigation established that before 2007, one-third of 33.2 global population with HIV infections also have TB. Until 2008, there were 1.4 million new cases of TB among HIV patients, and that the former accounted for about 26% deaths related to AIDS. The scholars also articulate that a 2008 survey gave more than 50% of TB patients testing positive for HIV in over 1.4 million tests done worldwide. This research stresses the need to decentralize HIV treatment services and to enhance its integration with TB related services.

Hispanics and Latinos' research done by CDC in 2014 also proves handy in conceptualizing this research. Despite the Hispanics taking only 17% of the US population, the community accounted for 23% of the cases diagnosed with HIV infection. The study also postulates that Hispanic diagnosed with HIV have lower health facility access rates. This circumstance denies them the health care that would help suppress the virus. In 2014, among the 9,421 TB cases reported to CDC, the Hispanics exceeded the other ethnic groups. The community indicated 29% of the total number of reported TB cases.

Purpose and Hypothesis For the Study

An adequate review of the pieces of literature above facilitates extensive research focusing on TB cases among the Hispanic women living with HIV infection in the California state. The study should aim at proving the hypothesis that patients living with HIV have high chances of contracting TB. Implementation of this framework should provide deductions on the assumption of a close relationship linking TB, HIV, and lifestyle among Hispanic women.

Study Methodology

The study would engage a professional methodology, make use of trained researchers. Due to the sensitivity of HIV/AIDS-related discussions, the study should use questionnaires as the method of data collection. This approach removes physical contact between the data collection team, which increases the authenticity of the results. The strategy also achieves the confidentiality of HIV status that individuals patients desire. The questionnaires will enhance the collection of confidential data like when a patient contracted TB, if it was before they contracted HIV, or if the TB was opportunistic to AIDS.

Since the research involves expert personnel, it will employ the quota sampling type of non-probability method of sample selection. The available standard for the kind of sample is HIV infected patients. The determination of sample size depends on the fact that only a section of the population might be living with HIV; thus, a 10000 Hispanic women sample size is adequate to establish the relationship between HIV and Tb infections. To the purpose of information, the study will make seek data from the primary source, which are the patients.

The research team will then sort the questionnaires, noting the number of cases of patients with HIV and TB, the figure of those that contracted TB as an opportunistic disease, and those that had already contracted TB even before HIV infection. The analysis will now engage the ratio-variable data measurement approach, exhaustively relating opportunistic TB with HIV positive cases.

The approach of this study will affect the analysis of TB and HIV/AIDs incidences among Hispanic women living in California. It will note the trend of the relationship between the two diseases and also provide a general link between lifestyle and health status.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diagnoses of HIV infection and AIDS in the United States and dependent areas, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/surveillance/resources/reports/2009report/index.htm

Department of Health Care Services. (n.d.). DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES. https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/

Getahun, H., Gunneberg, C., Granich, R., & Nunn, P. (2010). HIV infection-associated tuberculosis: the epidemiology and the response. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 50(Supplement_3), S201-S207. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-abstract/50/Supplement_3/S201/319114

Hispanics / Latinos. (2014, March 14). https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/healthdisparities/hispanics.html

Metcalfe, J. Z., Porco, T. C., Westenhouse, J., Damesyn, M., Facer, M., Hill, J., ... & Flood, J. (2013). Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection, California, USA, 1993-2008. Emerging infectious diseases, 19(3), 400. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3648844/