Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper.
Question Set One
Alcoholism is a chronic condition caused by psychosocial, genetic, and environmental factors. Cultural and social factors play a significant role in the development of the condition and drinking patterns. Currently, there are no specific methods to diagnose alcoholism. Moreover, laboratory, blood or brain test can be used to diagnose alcoholism. Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper.Similarly, there is no single primary cause of alcoholism. Environmental, cultural, psychological, and social factors contribute to the development of alcoholism
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According to Khairnar, Wadgave, & Khairnar (2017), alcoholism is an issue that arises when an individual consumes in a way that HIV AIDS is one of the major public health crisis around the world. The most worried members of the society were gay men because when it started, it was prevalent among them (Rushing 23). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered AIDS in 1980 among gay people, and as such, the society believed that this condition was a target for this population resulting in enhanced stigmatization. Some senior government officials in the United States during that time such as Patrick Buchanan believed that the disease was a punishment for the gays for defying laws of nature.Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper. Notably, the nature of the disease and the high number of deaths resulted in mass concerns within American society. Mass labeling of the ailment as a gay disease enhanced the social stigmatization of gay society further. As a result, gay activists developed educational programs for its members and organized for protests compelling the United States government for funds to manage the crisis, contributing to the development of the current programs against the disease.
Although the emergence of AIDS was heavily associated with the gay community, American society used this opportunity to discriminate against homosexuals resulting in psychological problems. Harris says “measured by the love I have in my heart and not the lust I have in my head” (12). The author seems is careful with the people he loves, and this is surprising because as a minority, they should know each other well and be genuine to others. Such a feeling is because some of the gay individuals believe that society might want to capitalize on them. Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper.
Besides the gays, CDC had indicated that other focus groups might have contributed to the spread of the disease. According to the CDC’s report, drug users sharing syringes were among the populations that contributed to the spread of the disease. However, during this period, there was alacrity about the connection of AIDS and gays rather than focus on other ways through which the disease spread. AIDS continued to spread through different ways including infections through blood transfusions and women getting it from their infected gay husbands. Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper.
In their protests during the AIDs crisis, the gays requested for funding, but the government was reluctant. The stereotype that AIDS was a gay disease hindered the government from spending on the awareness against the ailment. The AIDS crisis happened during President Ronald Regan’s time. Although American’s were dying from the disease, the government did not demonstrate a commitment to fighting the disease. During this time, the activities of managing the spread and treatment of AIDS were done through community clinics and other nonprofit organizations. Among the first government, initiatives to respond to the disease were through the Congressional allocation in 1983 (Rushing 34). The funds were channeled towards research, sensitization programs, and treatment of the affected persons. Evidently, the Congressional allocation appeared to have spurred the intensity of criticism against the inaction of President Regan on AIDS (Rushing 36). Because of these condemnations, President Regan signed an Executive that authorized the federal government to offer financial support for AIDS programs, and since then the US government has been funding AIDS prevention and management. For instance, Faderman says “protease inhibitors were made widely available in 1996 and in that year deaths from AIDS dropped with 50 %”( 439). Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper.Despite the stereotype that AIDS was a predicament facing the gay community, its widespread compelled the government to fund awareness programs resulting in a decline in the rate of infection.
The AIDS crisis changed the culture of gay relationships due to discrimination and health problems. The society blamed gays for the health crisis, which slowed government intervention making them proactive in their sexual life. Gays are among those communities that have embraced the use of protection. Further, unlike in the past where partners hid their activities from the public, Faderman asserts that current “gay relationships are open and as such, they know each other’s; partners” (55). As a result, this has reduced the infections in this community and as such, the society does not associate the disease with the gays. Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper.
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The AIDS crisis has changed because the issue is not about infection but the management of this condition among the infected people. Although the gay community received mass criticism and stereotype because of the disease, they played an active role in compelling the government to fund awareness and management programs. Currently, the management of the ailment requires the use of expensive drugs such as ARVs and without government or donor support, the deaths relating to HIV will have been higher. The developed world has budgets that cater to its citizens that have the condition. However, for developing nations, it is a challenge, and this means that AIDS has now transformed into a disease that kills those from low cost families.
Works Cited
Faderman, Lillian. The Gay Revolution: The Story of The Struggle. 1st ed., Simon & Schuster, 2015.
Harris, E L. I Say a Little Prayer. Place of publication not identified: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2007.
Rushing, William A. The AIDS epidemic: Social dimensions of an infectious disease. Routledge, 2018. Alcoholism and Disease Exposure Essay Paper.