Currect Health Issues In The Media

Running head: CURRENT HEALTH ISSUES 1

Name

Health disparities and inequalities

Institution

Date

CURRENT HEALTH ISSUES 2

Health disparities and inequalities are those differences in health that are noted because

of the unavailability of health services and also the access to those health services. The rate at

which a certain disease occurs among different groups of people shows of health disparities.

Minority groups mostly face these disparities. Minority groups are defined by their race, gender,

sexual orientation, income and wages and also their geographical locations. The media is helpful

in addressing the issues of health disparities. It contributes both positively and negatively.

One health disparity that has been noted in the media is that of HIV & AIDS, especially

in the LGBT community. The LGBT community health disparity occurs because of their sexual

orientation and also because of their geographical locations. Due to discrimination and

stigmatization of these people because of their sexual orientation, most of them are not covered

by insurance. Some medical staff refuse to offer health services to them, for example, there was

an instance where a doctor refused to care for LGBT patients with AIDS (Jones, 2015). LGBT

individuals in rural areas also do not get health care like their counterparts living in urban areas.

In terms of incidence, prevalence, and severity of AIDS, among the LGBT, it is correct to

state that the disease has more chances of spreading among them. In the world, there are more

straight people than gay, lesbian and bisexuals. Because of their small number, this makes them

more closely connected. Infections and spread of AIDS are more prevalent among them. From

the discrimination they have to deal with, most of them lack employment and therefore result to

practicing prostitution to earn a living. Most of the individuals from the LGBT community live

with AIDS without knowing their status. Without knowing their status, HIV is spread among

them faster especially among those who work as prostitutes.

Medically, this group is underserved especially those who live in rural areas. The LGBT

community faces many barriers that prevent them from acquiring necessary healthcare. For

CURRENT HEALTH ISSUES 3

instance, medical staff refuses to offer medical services to gay or lesbian individuals because

their personal or religious beliefs do not agree with a person being gay or lesbian. Also, in rural

areas, most of the medical staff are not well trained to deal with issues involving people of the

LGBT community and therefore even addressing the issue of HIV among these people is hard

and can be done wrong. In other places, doctors turn away from LGBT individuals living with

AIDS simply because there is no law that prohibits discrimination because of sexual orientation.

It is therefore true to state that the LGBT community is medically underserved.

Social determinants too have their effects on the quality of health offered to these people.

Some of these social determinants include poverty, discrimination& stigmatization, violence,

availability of resources among other things. Discrimination and stigmatization is the one that

mostly affects individuals of the LGBT community living with AIDS. In most parts of the USA,

it is legal to discriminate a person because of their sexual orientation. The effects this

discrimination has on people of the LGBT community living with AIDS include increased drug

abuse, mental illnesses and even worse, suicide. They result in drug abuse to try and cope with

the discrimination. Poverty because of unemployment forces these individuals to turn to

prostitution which leads to more infections of AIDS.

The articles used have proved to be very relevant while discussing the topic of health

disparities in HIV/AIDS. The media should try to add more information on their platforms in

order to help more people get informed about the spread of AIDS and also how to protect

themselves. The media though has left behind the issue of discrimination against the LGBT

community which is a major issue that should be addressed. Many people in the LGBT

community are living without the knowledge of their sexual status and therefore AIDS is more

CURRENT HEALTH ISSUES 4

prevalent among them. The media should try to focus on ways the society should merge to fight

against HIV instead of discriminating each other.

Some of the interventions that public health nursing could include in their quest to

address the issue of AIDS among the LGBT and its prevention include involving the community

in fighting the HIV epidemic. They should do this by holding awareness programs to educate

people on the importance of getting tested (Maiorana et al., 2016). The LGBT members should

also be encouraged to practice safe sex and reducing the number of sexual partners. In hospitals

and pharmacies, posters that address issues of AIDS should be put up for all to see. Every person

in hospitals regardless of the age, gender, race or sexual orientation should be allowed to access

medical services without discrimination. LGBT members too should be medically insured.

The issue of health disparities noted among the LGBT community living with AIDS can

be related to mercy and Jesuit values. One of these values is cura personalis. This states that

people should care for all by accepting their cultures and religions. LGBT members should be

accepted and treated fairly. Another is faith that upholds justice. LGBT members should be

accepted into the society without discriminating them.

In conclusion, it is clear to state that HIV and AIDS is a disease that has taken over the

world. People should come together in trying to fight this disease instead of discriminating

against each other. The LGBT community comprises of human being just like the rest of the

world. Just because they are different from what the world calls right does not mean that they

should be shunned from the community.

CURRENT HEALTH ISSUES 5

References

Jones. W. J. (2015, March 6). LGBT community in rural areas struggle to find good medical

care. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/05/health/nebraska-health-

lgbt/index.html

Maiorana, A., Kegeles, S., Salazar, X., Konda, K., Silva-Santisteban, A., & Cáceres, C. (2016).

‘Proyecto Orgullo’, an HIV prevention, empowerment and community mobilisation

intervention for gay men and transgender women in Callao/Lima, Peru. Global Public

Health, 11(7-8), 1076-1092. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2016.1161814

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