What is the rate of Morbidity and Mortality Due to HIV and AIDS

The problem with HIV is that it is a silent killer and builds up in the body very quietly and it is undetectable through the presentation or onset on visible symptoms. It takes anywhere from 5 to 12 years for AIDS to commence after the acquiring of the HIV virus. Previously most people died within 2 years at the onslaught of AIDS while these days, the treatment with powerful antiretroviral drugs prolong the life of the patient but at a cost of dealing with difficult side effects of these drugs. The patient is treated with drugs that save the body against any diseases which may target an affected individual. Death rates have been reduced but the disease is still very dangerous when it is observed that the virus is never removed from a patient in any case and all the drugs just stop the occurrence of symptoms and do not remove the virus from the body. According to UNAIDS, over 1 million people are living with the virus in the United States. The rate of contracting the disease is higher in black population due to poor economic conditions as we as well due to the practice of homosexuality. A case study in 2008 found that one fifth of people who had sex with men and were male contracted the HIV and almost half of them were unaware that they were HIV positive. This data clearly shows that gay population especially black people are more at risk of contracting the virus (CDC, 2013).

The figures of CDC present that almost 14% people are unaware that they are living with HIV. The number of new infections has remained of a stable level in the country but that level is still very high and needs to be significantly reduced. The numbers of new cases are especially prevalent in certain social groups and they are highly contagious and present in MSM or male who have sex with males’ social group. African Americans are still highly affected by HIV infections. According to the data, over 13,000 people died with AIDS in 2011. It is however not clear if they died due to AIDS related problems or due to other reasons. The infections among the MSM social group increased by 12% in 2008. This group forms only 4% of the population of United States but has a large share of around 78% in the appearance of new HIV patients. White MSM group was the largest in new HIV infections in 2010 but was seconded closely by black MSM group which shows the domination of this social group in both HIV infections as well as in general health problems. Over 300,000 people belonging to MSM have died due to the complications of AIDS since the rise of the epidemic a few decades ago. Drug users are also affected by the virus. Most women who are diagnosed with HIV are involved in heterosexual relationships or drug usage. The disease is more prevalent in the males in United States and women who have HIV are also somehow involved with the MSM social group. There has been a gradual decrease in the appearance of new HIV infections in women in the recent years. Around 184,000 drug users with AIDS have died since the epidemic in the country (CDC, 2014).

The 2011 data shows that 21% of new HIV infections are young people which are more than their average presence in the population which was 17% for the year. This makes young people a vulnerable group for this disease. If a breakdown is presented out of these young people than we get that 72% were involved with MSM while 78% were between 20 to 24 years old. It is believed that 60% of the infected youngsters are not aware that they are infected with this disease. The presence of disease in young individuals is a major cause of concern as it can take the largest part in STDs or Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Prevention, 2014).

The fear of the disease has gone down in the United States since the arrival of new drugs which are able to delay the symptoms of the dreaded disease. This has however given rise to unsafe sex practices such as avoiding the use of condoms in both MSM groups and heterosexuals in the United States. This is a dangerous trend as the life of an HIV infected person is not easy and there are many problems that are associated with the use of antiretroviral drugs that are used to control the symptoms of this disease.