Application: Health Information Patient Handout
One of the pivotal goals of consumer health literacy efforts is to design educational materials that attract as well as educate users. In this Assignment, you design a health information document on a topic that is of interest to you.
To prepare:
�Select a health issue of interest to you.
�Identify the audience or population that you seek to educate about this issue.
�Search the Internet to find credible sites containing information about your selected topic.
�Review the two health literacy websites listed in this week’s Learning Resources. Focus on strategies for presenting information.
To complete:
�Design an educational handout on the health issue you selected. Include a cover page.
Include an introduction that provides: ?An explanation of your issue and why you selected it
A description of the audience you are addressing
In the handout itself: Develop your handout in such a way that it attracts the attention of the intended audience.
Include a description of the health issue and additional content that will enhance your message (i.e., key terms and definitions, graphics, illustrations, etc.).
Transmission of HIV
Introduction
HIV stands for human immune deficiency virus. This is a lentivirus that causes HIV infection; there have been widespread increase in the rate of HIV amongst youth. Replication occurs when the HIV virus floating on body fluids and encounters a CD4 cell. These are well known as T helper Lymphocytes (Arnoczy, et al, 2012). They play an important role in immune response whereby they promote the activation of other immune cells in the body to combat infection.
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Each T helper Lymphocyte has a CD4 marker. The HIV virus attacks the CD4 marker and uses it to gain entry into the body cell. Once it is in the body system, the virus replicates spontaneously and it is transferred throughout the body system.
Audience
This handout targets the youth especially those in learning institutions that are at a high risk of acquiring this virus. According to research by Castillo-Chavez, the rate of HIV transmission among youth is rising at an alarming rate (Castillo-Chavez, 2013). The research puts the rate of transmission of HIV in the United States amongst youth accounting to approximately twenty six percent of the total population. This has been linked to the youth engaging in unprotected sexual activities at a younger age. The youth also engage in drug and substance abuse whereby they end up sharing sharp objects with other peers. Ignorance plays a major part in the spread of HIV hence the youth should be taught on ways in which the HIV virus is spread in order to curb infection.
Transmission of HIV virus:
HIV is a pandemic whose virus begins by attacking the immune system. A person infected with HIV virus can look and feel perfectly well for many years and may hardly know that they are infected, but over a period of time it is likely that the HIV will damage the immune system, this makes the person attacked vulnerable to other diseases referred to as opportunistic diseases, which may eventually lead to the patient’s demise (UNAIDS, 2012).
Aids can be transmitted through these various ways;
Unprotected sexual intercourse
Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person could result in the transmission of the pandemic; this is because of the high possibilities of fluid contact particularly if there are either cuts sores or both (HIV and LONG, 2012). This increases the possibilities of fluid contact through the mucus membranes. It is hence advisable to use protection such as condoms. However, the best preventive measure especially for couples is to know there status and be advised accordingly by a trained official.
Sharing of sharp objects
Sharing of sharp cutting instruments especially needles, piercings, tattoo needles and other instruments used during medical services and surgery could result in transmission of the disease (Arnoczy, et al, 2012). This could only happen in the case where one person is infected with the disease resulting in fluid contact when another person is cut by the same object. It is therefore advisable for people not to share these objects. Also sharp objects should be disposed properly to avoid accidental cuts.
Drugs and substance abuse
Misuse of drugs by the youth has also contributed to the transmission of the virus. This is because it results in sharing of common objects such as syringes and needles to inject themselves the drugs into their veins which then lead to blood contact. Cases of rape have also been reported from drug addicts as sometimes they fail to make rational decisions thereby increasing the risk of transmitting the disease. Youth are advised to visit health centers from time to time so that they may now their status as well.
HIV/AIDS has led to the decline in the world’s work force; it has also led to the loss of energetic and promising youth of this country. Who would like to die of an avoidable cause? HIV CAN BE DEFEATED, TAKE CHARGE!!!
More Information on the HIV/ AIDS can be obtained from;
References
HIV, C., & LONG, H. (2012). AIDS. Medical Care, 916, 874-7720.
Together we will end AIDS(UNAIDS), 2012. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.
Arnoczy, G. S., Ferrari, G., Goonetilleke, N., Corrah, T., Li, H., Kuruc, J., … & Eron, and the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology AI067854, J. J. (2012). Massive CD8 T cell response to primary HIV infection in the setting of severe clinical presentation. AIDS research and human retroviruses,28(8), 789-792.
Castillo-Chavez, C. (Ed.). (2013). Mathematical and statistical approaches to AIDS epidemiology (Vol. 83). Springer Science & Business Media.