HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Australia vs. US

This assignment compares and contrasts the HIV/AIDS epidemics in Australia and the US. It analyzes factors like disease burden, prevalence among women, social discrimination, and healthcare policies in both countries. Students are tasked with identifying key differences and similarities in how each nation has addressed the epidemic.

1Running head: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Social Determinants of Health
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

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HIV/AIDS is a key global health problem at present, and many efforts are being given
to understand the social determinants that influence the prevalence of this disease. It has been
noted that certain populace of the countries is more vulnerable to this disease, such as
women, sex workers and children. The social determinants that guide the prevalence rate of
HIV include economics, social discrimination, gender, healthcare services and living
environment. Different countries of the world have witnessed changes in response provided
to the emergence of the disease in a different manner. The present essay aims at comparing
the effects of stigma, discrimination, and social justice, and living environment on the
selected vulnerable population, that is women, in Australia and the United States. It also aims
at exploring how the societies in these countries have undergone changes and adaptation as a
result of the emergence of HIV/AIDS. The essay would describe the situation of HIV/AIDS
and the risk factors among women in these two countries. Further, it would compare and
contrast the impact of the two social determinants of health on the vulnerable population, that
is social justice and living environment. An illustration of how the society has changed in
these two countries, and the adaptations made, in response to the emergence of HIV/AIDS, is
also provided.
The background to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women in the two countries
woud be mentioned first. Women in Australia experience are living with HIV/AIDS in a
manner that is quite different from what is experienced by men. This is due to a number of
reasons that include physical health factors and social factors. At the end of 2014, around
3056 women had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS that represented about 8.7% of the total
population diagnosed with the disease. In addition, about 2700 women were already living
with the disease that represented about 10% of the total population living with the disease.
19% of the newly diagnosed cases for women and men were attributed to heterosexual
contact. Between the year 2010 and 2014, 242 women with HIV had been reported to give

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birth and 4 among the infants were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS (positivewomen.org.au, 2018).
When studying the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women in the US, one would find that
the scenario is worse in the US as compared to Australia. Almost a quarter of the HIV
infected population in the US are women. In the year 2015, about 7000 women were
diagnosed with HIV. Overall, 86% of HIV diagnoses among women were attributed to
heterosexual sex, and 13% were attributed to injection drug use. It is also to be noted that
61% of women diagnosed with HIV were African American. In the year 2014, about 2000
women had died due to HIV/AIDS in the country (Wright & Carnes, 2016).
At this juncture, it would be appropriate to discuss the influence of stigma,
discrimination and social justice on the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS among women in the
two countries, and highlight the differences in situation. According to Liamputtong (2015)
from the global epidemiological viewpoint, women in Australia have gone unharmed by HIV
infection. Nevertheless, the impact of social injustice and discrimination done against this
populace cannot be ignored. Discrimination against aboriginal and non-indigenous women
have contributed to the rise in HIV infected women among the population. Further, the needs
of women who have suffered mental disorder and disabilities are diminished or ignored due
to community views that perceive them to be sexually inactive.
In the US, women who are disabled are at more risk of facing sexual exploitation.
Though institutions are making efforts to implement effective education programs, women
who are disabled, and those who are not disabled, are difficult to be reached. Women in the
US are generally given the role of caregiver when a family member is diagnosed with HIV,
however when it comes to providing care for them, less is done (Shelby & Ciambrone, 2016).
In the US, negative and unfair belief that women are to be deprived of certain benefits is
high. Discrimination against the Hispanics and African American women prevails throughout
society, and there has been little change in this matter with time.

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The impact of environmental conditions on the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS
among women in these countries is to be analysed next. As opined by Bolsewicz et al.,
(2015) sexual transmission is the most common route of HIV infection among women in
Australia. The risk of infection is particular during adolescents. Coming to the economic
front, a considerable section of the women population in Australia live below the poverty line
due to which they suffer financial stress. As a result, they face challenges in ensuring proper
living conditions for themselves that can prevent the transmission of the disease. Economic
insecurity among females has been linked with sexual risk factors and experiences of
violence. The authors had further linked economically motivated relationships and HIV
transmissions. However, the wealth gradient in the country is more positive than many other
countries of the world, including the US.
As highlighted by Dale et al., (2014) the reality that people in the US have sexual
intercourse with partners belonging to the same ethnicity or race results in women from
communities such as Hispanic and African American group face more risk of HIV infection.
Women in the country also are unaware of the risk factors of their partners for HIV. Women
from the rural parts of the country have been found to suffer from poor living conditions that
increase the prevalence of diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhoea. The intersection of
poverty and domestic violence is of much significance in relation to prevalence of HIV. In
addition, notable percentages of black and white women in the US have reported starting a
relationship in response to economic concerns faced by them.
Since the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, both US and Australia have made
efforts to control the increasing number of HIV cases. However, the approach made by
these countries differ from one another, causing the distinct differences in the prevalence rate
among the two countries. The Australian government has devoted more time as compared to
the US for the expansion of social protection frameworks and livelihood frameworks that had

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emerged as challenges in the path of HIV prevention in the past. Further, the social support
programs implemented in this country had address the concerns of unequal access to
education, income and other living conditions adequately. In contrast, US authorities had not
given adequate efforts to combat the factors that drive the HIV epidemic. Even if efforts had
been given, they were not aligned with the exact needs of women in the country, leading to
their failure. The socioeconomic approaches considered by the US did not aim at reducing the
impact of socioeconomic disparity on women. It would have been better if these disparities
were addressed at the root in the form of prevention strategy (Prendergast et al., 2017). In this
regard, it is also to be mentioned that research on HIV mong the population, including
women, in Australia, had informed healthcare practice and policy making, unlike in the US.
While social discrimination has witnessed a significant reduction in Australia, US has a long
way to go before there would be eradication of social injustice (Hampton et al., 2017).
The above comparison gives a good illustration of the differences in the pattern and
impact of HIV/AIDS epidemics in Australia and US. The magnitude of the disease burden is
more in the US as compared to Australia. While Australia has been able to meet the challenge
of the epidemic to a considerable degree, US is still struggling to achieve the same. Women
in remains less vulnerable in Australia in comparison to the US. However, both the countries
need further robust strategies that can address the needs of the women in the community who
are a vulnerable group for HIV/AIDS. Government and non-government organisations must
come forward and take more initiatives to make the countries HIV/AIDS free in the near
future.

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References
Bolsewicz, K., Vallely, A., Debattista, J., Whittaker, A., & Fitzgerald, L. (2015). Factors
impacting HIV testing: a review–perspectives from Australia, Canada, and the
UK. AIDS care, 27(5), 570-580. DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2014.986050
Dale, S., Cohen, M., Weber, K., Cruise, R., Kelso, G., & Brody, L. (2014). Abuse and
resilience in relation to HAART medication adherence and HIV viral load among
women with HIV in the United States. AIDS patient care and STDs, 28(3), 136-143.
DOI: 10.1089/apc.2013.0329.
Hampton, G., Buggy, M., Graves, J., McCann, L., & Irwin, J. (2017). Grappling with
realities: policy and practice in HIV social work. Australian Social Work, 70(1), 92-
103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2016.1146313
Home | Positive Women Victoria. (2018). Positivewomen.org.au. Retrieved 7 January 2018,
from http://positivewomen.org.au
Liamputtong, P. (2015). Stigma, Discrimination and Living with HIV/AIDS. Springer.
Prendergast, L. E., Leung, R. K., Toumbourou, J. W., Taft, A., McMorris, B. J., & Catalano,
R. F. (2017). Sexual behaviour in early adolescence: A cross‐national comparison of
Australian and United States youth. Australian Journal of Psychology, 69(1), 3-11.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12118
Shelby, R. D., & Ciambrone, D. (2016). Women's experiences with HIV/AIDS: Mending
fractured selves. Routledge.

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Wright, E. R., & Carnes, N. (Eds.). (2016). Understanding the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the
United States: The Role of Syndemics in the Production of Health Disparities.
Springer.