Week 7 Assignment - Managing an Outbreak

Week 7 Assignment - Managing HIV Outbreak Student’s Name Professor’s Name Institutional Affiliations Course Name and Number Due Date Week 7 Assignment - Managing HIV Outbreak Managing an HIV outbreak requires experts to understand diverse aspects of the disease that lead to its gradual spreading in the community. According to Proma et al. (2023), epidemiologic managers analyze a condition to understand mechanisms that effectively eliminate or slow down harmful consequences. Thus, this paper explores antiretroviral therapy treatment (ART), condom distribution programs (CDP), and prophylaxis therapies for managing HIV, compares and contrasts them, and provides a plan for preventing HIV in Houston. Likely Epidemiological Approaches to HIV Outbreak Management Early ART Use The risk of HIV infection depends on the viral level of the infected persons. According to De Clercq et al. (2020), plasma viral load rises rapidly in the early phases of infections, taking approximately 201 to 28 days to reach peak viremia. The authors indicate that this load can rise so high to almost 107 copies/mL, highlighting the increased likelihood of spreading the illness when such a person engages in sexual intercourse with a non-infected one. Epidemiologic managers recognize these risks by describing this aspect as acute HIV infection with increased transmission probability. De Clercq et al. (2020) argue that such individuals remain harmless until other interconnected factors, such as risky behavior and sexual mixing, predispose the uninfected to a high viral load, leading to HIV spread. As a result, epidemiologists consider ART treatment a critical preventative method. Early ART use among individuals with HIV infections has become an effective epidemiologic intervention technique for preventing disease propagation. Detels et al. (2019) use the phrase “treatment as prevention” to demonstrate the applicability of this approach in managing HIV outbreaks (30). De Clercq et al. (2020) also recognize this option by revealing its capacity to lower the infection rate. The authors report that ARTs trigger host antibodies mechanism that reduce the virulent aspect of the disease drastically. They reduce the viral load to undetectable levels, denoted by the phrase, “undetectable equals untransmitable (U=U),” indicating that such individuals have zero capability to transmit the disease to the uninfected in society (De Clercq et al., 2020, p. 6)). Statistics confirm that the method has a 60% likelihood of eliminating new infections (De Clercq et al., 2020). Thus, applying ART would assist the epidemiologic managers in addressing the outbreak successfully. Condoms Distribution in Communities Condom use for reducing HIV infections remains an effective strategy for epidemiologic managers. McCool-Myers (2019) reports that professionals advocate for this method because of its inexpensive nature, ease of use, and availability. Stover and Teng (2022) underline the effectiveness of condoms because they go beyond HIV protection to other sexually transmitted illnesses that increase the risk of HIV. Unfortunately, McCool-Myers (2019) flags some barriers that inconvenience the youths in accessing condoms to advance the management of the HIV outbreak. For instance, the author indicates that 80% of stores in American cities stock condoms in locked sections or counters out of customers’ reach. Such aspects arise as deterrence to their access due to the embarrassment and stereotypes that can adversely impact HIV management. Thus, epidemiologists shift towards CDPs due to their capacity to overcome these barriers. CDPs focus on distributing these resources to the communities and individuals with increased risk of HIV infection. Detels et al. (2019) report the presence of female and male condoms but add that their use has only remained influential among commercial sex purchasers compared to regular partners. According to McCool-Myers (2019), the approach employs diverse tactics, including mail order, tabling events, and peer-to-peer supply. The method goes beyond providing condoms to disseminating information that their proper use protects the user from HIV infections. Epidemiologists exploit these opportunities to dispel stereotypes about condom purchasing to normalize th...