Analysis of Community Outbreak of HIV/AIDS

Running head: COMMUNITY OUTBREAK 1
Analysis of Community Outbreak of HIV/AIDS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

COMMUNITY OUTBREAK 2
Introduction
The paper will discuss about the communicable disease of HIV/AIDS (Human
Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). According to World
Health Organization Data (2018), the disease has affected over 37.9 million people and is
spread globally with few exceptions such as Denmark. According to HIV.gov (2016), the first
outbreak was discovered in Los Angeles on 1981 with first official reporting published by
Center for Disease Control in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In the United States
of America, group of gay men were reported with aggressive cancer named Kaposi’s
Sarcoma in California and New York. According to HIV.gov (2016), at least one case of
HIV/AIDS in every region of the world was reported by the year 1985.
Epidemiological Determinants & Risk Factors
The epidemic of HIV/AIDS has shifted over the past three decades and low and
middle-income countries are the most affected ones presently. For the initial cases reported in
America in the year 1981, the symptoms were reported in people who injected drugs and gay
men, making these two factors the first observed epidemiological determinants of HIV/AIDS.
There are several risk factors associated with HIV/AIDS. The primary risk factor that
increases the risk of incidence of this communicable disease is unprotected sex. For the HIV
outbreak in America in the 1980s, the prime risk factor reported was unprotected sex between
homosexual couples (HIV.gov, 2016). Other risk factors include having sexually transmitted
infections such as herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, bacterial vaginosis and chlamydia. Some other
behavioral risk factors among heterosexuals that has been found out includes having number
of sexual partners, lack of male circumcision, commercial sex and anal intercourse.
Route of Transmission
The disease can be transmitted through unprotected sex with affected individual. Any
person that comes in direct contact of some of the bodily fluids (infected by virus load), can