Impacts of HIV/AIDS on Individuals, Families and Community in Australia

Running Head: HIV
0
HIV/AIDS
student
7/27/2019

HIV
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................ 2
Impacts of HIV/AIDS................................................................................................ 2
Using primary health care principles.......................................................................5
Nursing interventions.............................................................................................. 7
Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 8
References................................................................................................................. 9

HIV
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Introduction
Human immunodeficiency virus abbreviated as HIV is the virus that mutated many years
ago from a microorganism that infected chimpanzees and transmits in humans. In the late 1970s,
it started to spread outside the African continent and presently become a global issue. HIV
attacks the immune system of the host over time. Without treatment, the symptoms arise in eight
to ten years, and this symptomatic phase is called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
abbreviated as AIDS (Marchetti, Tincati & Silvestri, 2013). In 2017 it was recognised that
around 27,545 individuals had HIV in Australia. In the year of 2011, nearly 31,731 people were
diagnosed with HIV infection, and approximately 24,731 people had HIV/AIDS particularly in
Australia. The men who have sex with the men (MSM) are also at risk of developing HIV. This
particular health issue not only affects the person who has the diseases, but also affects the
family, and the community. Nurses are the central member of every healthcare team assigned to
deal with a particular patient as they spend more time with their patient than other healthcare
workers. They can assist in protecting and promoting health for vulnerable people by using their
effective skills (Jansson & Wilson, 2012). In this particular assessment report, the impacts of this
health issue on individual, family and community in Australia will be discussed including the
role of nurses. The intervention used by the public health or community nurses to protect and
promote health will also be mentioned in the assessment.
Impacts of HIV/AIDS
On individual levels

HIV
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On individual levels, HIV/AIDS can affect the MSM negatively. There are many physical
impacts of these health issues the men who have sex with the men might suffer. However, there
are other impacts can occur such as physical issues, abnormal mental status of the affected
individual. There is a recurring association between HIV/AIDS and stigma; the MSM people
who face stigma and discrimination are often develop stress, anxiety and depression issues. In
Australia Myths and misinformation, upsurge the issues of stigma and discrimination adjacent to
HIV and AIDS (Cysique, Bain, Brew & Murray, 2011). Approximately one in eight individuals
(such as MSM, IV drug users, prisoners, and transgender) suffering from HIV are not getting
help from health facilities due to stigma and discrimination. That utmost at risk to develop HIV
among the MSM people (key pretentious inhabitants) continue to experience disgrace and
discrimination centred on their real or apparent wellbeing status, race, the socioeconomic
position, age, sex, sexual orientation or gender individuality or other bases. Self-stigma and
anxiety of an adverse community response can obstruct determinations to deal with the HIV
epidemic by enduring the wall of quietness and disgrace adjacent to the virus (Grulich et al.,
2015). Adverse self-judgment leads to shame, worthlessness and guilt signify an essential but
deserted feature of living with HIV/AIDS. Self-stigma exaggerated an individual's ability to live
positively, bounds significant self-agency, the superiority of life, obedience to treatment and
right to use the health services. The Community-driven stigma and discrimination headed for
individuals living with HIV/AIDS can pressurize the MSM community to leave their household
and alter their everyday activities. Although the government of Australia has made it unlawful to
discriminate against an individual based on their wellbeing status, counting having HIV/AIDS,
for example, Disability Discrimination Act, 1992, but the problem still exists (Liamputtong,
2013).