Key Concepts in the Study of AIDS

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Epidemiology is the study of disease

  • Incidence rate: number of new cases in a given period
  • Prevalence: How widespread the disease is in a population
  • Epidemic: diseases that appear suddenly and spread rapidly
  • Pandemic: disease that is global
  • Endemic: when a disease is stable and prevalent in a population
  • Acute: sudden onset
  • Chronic: gradual onset
  • Terminal: deadly-only 25% of the population worldwide receives treatment
AIDS specific Concepts:
  • Face of AIDS: profile or common pattern of who is infected relative to incidence. shifted over the years from MSM to Latina and AA women and adolescents. 
  • MSM (men who have sex with men)
  • MTF (male to female transmission)
  • ARV (Anti-retroviral therapy)
  • HAARTHIV/AIDS Anti-retroviral therapy)
AIDS in the US
  • Three waves
    • 1980---white msm
    • 1983-1990--msm, minorities, iv drug users
    • 2003: nonwhite women and adolescents
  • Cofactors (varied and culturally specific)
    • ethnocentrism
      • views of women
      • indigenous views on sex
    • stigma
      • low testing rates
      • low treatment rates
      • little prevention
    • erotophobia & homophobia
    • age: disease of young people
    • IV drug use
    • blood transfusions

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