H312 reflection

I learned more than I originally thought I would.

The things I was not expecting to learn about were the infection chances on a per sexual encounter basis, the social stigma related to any STI, and the horrible things that happened to people in the Tuskegee study. I was not expecting so much time to be concentrated on HIV/AIDS but it was interesting still.

The most useful information was the stuff showed us how to prevent the spread of STI's. The anthology was also good because it made us find out more information on topics related to STI problems in other areas beside the United States.

The least useful was learning about the biology behind the STI's because it is not necessary to know this if all people are doing is trying to prevent from getting it. Learning it was kind of like an added bonus you really do not need it but it makes the way you get infected more clear.

For next time I would change the any lectures that had to do with biology of the STI's more interesting, how you would do this I do not know, it was dry and boring compared to the rest of the class.

Yes, this topic should be taught at a university level because it allows people to learn about a problem that will probably never go away. It will also teach people how to be more aware of what they are doing in order to prevent the further spread of STI's.

Bob's Impact

Bob Skinner taught me that living with AIDS is an expensive adventure if you do not have the proper help. The medications cost a fortune but there is help for purchasing these drugs. He told me that living with AIDS is a life changing experience, you need to change everything. To be healthy and live with AIDS you must take your cocktail of medications, exercise, and eat right. He explained some of the side effects that come with taking the medication and how some people avoid taking the drugs because of the side effects.

Bob's experience is probably very similar to those living in developed countries because aid is available and more and more people are starting to understand how AIDS works. When it comes to developing countries his experience was far different. In developing countries an AIDS diagnosis is a death sentence because the country does not have the resources to provide medication to people and there is less education to inform people on what they can do to prevent and help slow down the process of AIDS. Also in other areas the stigma related to AIDS is different in some cultures if you contracted AIDS you would probably be completely abandoned by people.

HIV transmission in rural areas is spread primarily through heterosexual means. The social factors limiting its prevention are that AIDS is a gay related disease so heterosexuals are less likely to use protection and be aware of the risk they are taking.

Living in a rural area makes HIV difficult to treat because they are far away from health care. The people that live in rural areas are often poor and have a low education so they are unaware of the risks involved with HIV and how to prevent its spread.