HIV/AIDS Trend, Monitoring, Management in the USA

This assignment aims at discussing the trends and monitoring of HIV/AIDS in the USA, as well as providing insight into the strategies being used to manage it.

HIV/AIDS is an epidemic that has been impacting the world for decades. In the United States, it continues to be a major public health concern. According to CDC reports from 2018, around 1.1 million individuals are living with HIV in the US with an estimated 38,700 new infections in 2017 alone1.

Monitoring of HIV/AIDS trends is conducted by agencies such as The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who collect data from surveillance systems including testing records and reported cases2. This allows them to track changes over time and better understand how HIV is affecting different groups of people. This is essential for developing effective strategies to manage the disease.

Management of HIV/AIDS in the United States has focused on prevention, treatment and care services3. Prevention efforts include expanding access to testing and providing education about safe sex practices and risk reduction. Treatment includes antiretroviral therapy (ART) which can help prolong life expectancy4. Care services provide support to individuals living with HIV such as housing, mental health, substance abuse counseling and other social services5.

Despite these interventions, there are still challenges in managing HIV/AIDS in the US. These include stigma associated with the condition, lack of access to healthcare and limited resources6. As such, it is important to continue improving our understanding of trends and monitoring systems so that we can develop more effective strategies for managing the disease.

References:

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV in the United States: At A Glance 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/statistics_basics_ataglance.pdf

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance Overview 2019.https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/surveillancereport-overview/.

3 US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council (OARAC). National HIV/AIDS Strategy 2015 Update – Executive Summary (2015). https://www.aidsinfo.nih