Introduction and Identification of the Marginalized Group
Cook County leads in the population of women living with HIV across the state of Illinois. According
to Brady et al. (2017), there exists a pronounced impact of HIV infections among marginalized groups
such as women of low income earning category. Particularly, their ability to mitigate infection
rates or manage the active cases of HIV is challenged by their income limitation. As a result,
addressing their plight in the management of HIV may have a resounding effect on the mitigation of
the statistics associated with Cook County. At the same time, an evaluation of the challenges
related to the management of HIV among low income earning women may have a spiral effect beyond the
geographical limits of the County or the state of Illinois at large. In essence, marginalization
along income brackets features among the challenges facing women across the global societies (Hall
et al., 2015). Equally, since HIV manifests across the globe, the developed findings regarding the
marginalized women in Cook County may have an unambiguous effect on the practices adopted towards
mitigating HIV infections across the world.
Background
The concern of HIV prevalence among low income earning women in Cook County triggers concerns due to
the ineffectiveness of the adopted infection mitigation policies. Data associated with HIV
prevalence across the state of Illinois originates from the Department of Public Health, DPH, with
elemental contributions from the federal health bodies which include the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, CDC. According to the DPH, between 2008 and 2015, the state of Illinois contributed
about 4.3% of the average annual new HIV infections across the country (Brady et al., 2017). Further
evaluation of the implication of the infection rate places the state at the sixth position across
the country. An in-depth breakdown of the infection rates across the gender points on the increasing
burden bestowed to female victims through their elevated vulnerability.
Cases of new HIV infections occurring in women across the state of Illinois comprised of approximately 19%. In particular, women ranging between 20 to 50 years lead in new infections when evaluated along with the age variable between 2009 and 2013. Ages 30 to 39 had the highest new infection rates averaging at 24.55%, followed closely with ages 40 to 49, which averaged at 23% (Shacham, Rosenburg, Onen, Donovan, & Overton, 2015). Nonetheless, HIV infection among marginalized women, such as low-income earners, points on the need to curb the trend. Low income earning women contributed to approximately 67% of new infections, where Cook County leads in prevalence. In the County, 76% of new infections registered among women manifested in low income earning category (Brady et al., 2017). Their determination focused on the average household income and attributed levels of education. Arguably, the elevated cases of new infections points on the current concern of individuals living with HIV or AIDS.
Social Economic Implication
The management of any disease manifests direct attributes to the economic and social economic
positions of the involved parties. Patients and caregivers register expenses in the diagnosis,
protection, or treatment of the conditions. In the case of HIV, the ideal measures linked to
economic effects include the integration of risk mitigation factors, management of active infection,
and the prevention of spreading practices among the population. Shacham et al. (2015) state that the
effect of the infection on the conduct of economic activities may have a resounding effect on the
expectations of the county. As a result, the concern of increasing new infection among low income
earning women triggers the need to examine the impact on the economic position.
Women perceived to fall in low income earning category face challenges in accessing ideal medical insurance to assist in meeting the demands of HIV medication. Ideally, the management of HIV comprises of medical, diet, and physical activity therapy. Hence, the prospect of low-income earners participating in the comprehensive therapy program remains impaired. Also, the effect of new infection may manifest in the limitations suggested to the ability of the patients to participate in income-generating activities (Brady et al., 2017). Indeed, the occurrence of such possibilities would have damaging effects on low-income earners. Being in a position to work would further impair the ability to afford the care associated with the management of the condition.
The Input of Social Justice
The role of social justice in the promotion of accessible health to the low income earning women is
exceedingly vital in addressing the experienced challenges. Integrating social justice elements
allows the marginalized population to access services that fall past their social limitation.
Ideally, social justice, as a tool of promoting improved access to healthcare, would best manifest
in the role of community leadership in promoting health. Clark et al. ( 2017) purport that there
exist considerable concerns relating to the manifestation of social justice across Cook County in
matters of public health. Indeed, problems such as the lack of universal health care imply the need
to further evaluate the role of programs which include the inclusion of health subsidies on HIV
medication.
The concern of healthcare marginalization points on the need to explore the potential solutions to assist in addressing everyday challenges, for instance, impairment in accessing primary care. According to Shacham et al. (2015), healthcare limitations have a substantial contribution to the rise of cases attributed to new infections. Ideally, the manifestation of such limitations point on the prospective impairments that affect access to healthcare needs for the marginalized group. In addition, the occurrence of such societal models suggests the existence of considerable obstacles towards access to essential information in the management of conditions such as HIV. Arguably, the rise of new infection proposes a direct relation to the lack of adequate knowledge on protection measures among the affected members of the society (Hall et al., 2015). High risks parties, such as marginalized women, face the challenge of accessing reliable healthcare solutions to assist in controlling the risks associated with HIV infections.
Ethical Issues
Addressing the medical concerns associated with HIV infections suffers from the possible ethical
infringement which focuses on both the beneficiaries and the care providers. Among the ideal
challenges include the withdrawal of the autonomy of the patient in considering the offered
healthcare options and the challenge of stigma. Providing care for marginalized patients may suffer
from the potential of overriding the interests of the patients in the assumption of their condition
to have a nexus with existing social justice concerns. However, the entire exercise is geared at
ensuring the promotion of the principle of non-maleficence and beneficence as there is the
prioritization of the welfare of the patient and the development of the merits associated with the
exercise (Mavragani & Ochoa, 2018). Nonetheless, the occurrence of concerns, such as the
principle of justice, would align with the expectations of the participants. In some cases, the
patients and the caregivers may have conflicting interests over the procedures due to differences in
the advising knowledge, among other reasons. Addressing such points of conflict would result in the
ideal impact significance in managing the success of the care plan.
An Action Plan for Addressing the Needs of Marginalized Groups
Health education and access to essential care play a critical role in the management of HIV
infection. Both attributes form the missing elements in the characterization of the alarming levels
of HIV infection among the low income earning women. As a result, their address would prove
essential in the management of the cases of HIV across Cook County. Among the ideal strategies to
implement would include advocating for subsidies to allow affordability of HIV medication, promotion
of health education to assist in improving protection and containment margins, as well as availing
adequate medication to cater for the demand levels linked to the marginalized women in Cook County
(Shacham, et al., 2015). The measurement of the three actions would focus on the levels of new
infections registered among the targeted marginalized communities.
Conclusion
Low income earning women in Cook County face the challenge of rising cases of new HIV infections
according to a statistic by DPH. Suggestively, the increase in the levels of new HIV infection among
the group may have links to the existing social injustice and the prospective ethical challenges
facing the address of the condition. Similarly, the existence of economic as well as social economic
limitations assist in elevating the magnitude of the challenge. Ideal solutions to the problem would
involve seeking to improve access to ideal medication, affordability enhancement plans, and the
integration of community health education programs focusing on the marginalized group.
All in all, this is a free research paper sample about Women with HIV. You cannot use it as your own academic essay. For custom research paper writing help please visit https://smartwritingservice.com/research-paper.html.
References Brady, K. A., Storm, D. S., Naghdi, A., Frederick, T., Fridge, J., & Hoyt, M. J. (2017). Perinatal HIV exposure surveillance and reporting in the United States, 2014. Public Health Reports, 132(1), 76-84. Doi: 10.1177/0033354916681477. Clark, H., Babu, A. S., Wiewel, E. W., Opoku, J., & Crepaz, N. (2017). Diagnosed HIV infection in transgender adults and adolescents: Results from the National HIV Surveillance System, 2009–2014. AIDS and Behavior, 21(9), 2774-2783. Doi: 10.1007/s10461-016-1656-7. Hall, H. I., An, Q., Tang, T., Song, R., Chen, M., Green, T., & Kang, J. (2015). Prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV infection-United States, 2008–2012. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 64(24), 657-662. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4584741/. Mavragani, A., & Ochoa, G. (2018). Forecasting AIDS prevalence in the United States using online search traffic data. Journal of Big Data, 5(1), 17. Doi: 10.1186/s40537-018-0126-7. Shacham, E., Rosenburg, N., Onen, N. F., Donovan, M. F., & Overton, E. T. (2015). Persistent HIV-related stigma among an outpatient US clinic population. International Journal of STD & AIDS, 26(4), 243-250. Doi: 10.1177/0956462414533318.