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Use current discussion post to answer question below at the bottom.
Week 6 Discussion Post
Hello Dr. Richardson and class,
Addressing Disparities in STD Rates in California
Infection Rates Analysis Based on CDC Atlas Plus Data
The statistics from the CDC Atlas Plus website show that STD incidence varies with age, race, and gender in California. Persons between the age of 15-24 years are the most vulnerable to STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis (CDC, 2021). Moreover, African Americans and Hispanics are especially at a greater risk of getting these infections compared to Caucasians. In addition, the analysis shows that males are more affected by some of the STDs than females, thereby showing the inequitable distribution of the diseases based on gender.
Evidence of Disparities and Rationale
Differences in risk behaviors alone cannot explain the variations in STD rates between ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+(CDC, 2021). Various systemic factors include discrimination, environmental issues, social status, and health issues. These populations experience challenges like the inability to afford health insurance, high levels of stigma, and a reduction in the number of culturally sensitive physicians, which reduces the likelihood of using the services to get tested and or begin treatment.
Biases and Barriers Contributing to Disparities
In California, some of the biases and barriers contributing to these disparities in care perceived statewide include racism in healthcare settings, leading to under-utilization of services based on mistrust. In addition, some socioeconomic factors include poverty and lack of education, which make preventive care and health education largely unattainable (Chan et al., 2021). The stigma attached to STDs and sexual orientation acts as a deterrence to seeking necessary medical care.
Comparison to National Rates
Comparing STD rates in California to the overall rates in the U. S., California has higher rates of infections, especially in large metropolitan areas (CDC, 2021). This highlights the need for prevention and intervention programs, specifically dominant health campaign campaigns addressing the state’s difficulties. Measures have to be implemented to control the interaction between risk factors associated with the increased STD rates, including population density, migration, and catchment characteristics, to reduce STD spread effectively.
Person-Centered Actions for Nurse Practitioners
To promote STD self-care management among marginalized clients, nurse practitioners can:
Enhance Education and Awareness: Culturally and competently educate clients on STD prevention, symptoms, and the need for STD testing (Healthypeople, 2020). This can be done through organizing awareness campaigns within the community and working with other organizations in direct contact with minorities.
Facilitate Access to Care: Create mobile clinics and telemedicine to provide easy access to testing and treatment to clients in remote areas without discriminating against their status.
Opportunities for Interprofessional Collaboration
Addressing disparities in STD rates requires a collaborative approach:
Public Health Collaboration: Collaborate with public health departments to design and launch targeted prevention strategies for at-risk populations (Healthypeople, 2020). This includes awareness creation, testing fairs, and vaccination drives.
Social Services Integration: Collaborate with social services to address social factors that can affect STD rates more indirectly, such as housing, education, and employment (Healthypeople, 2020). The implication is that health can be enhanced by providing comprehensive care that addresses these elements.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). AtlasPlus – charts. Cdc.gov. https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/nchhstpatlas/charts.htmlLinks to an external site.
Chan, E. Y. L., Smullin, C., Clavijo, S., Papp-Green, M., Park, E., Nelson, M., Giarratano, G., & Wagman, J. A. (2021). A qualitative assessment of structural barriers to prenatal care and congenital syphilis prevention in Kern County, California. PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0249419. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249419Links to an external site.
Healthypeople. (2020). Sexually Transmitted Infections – Healthy People 2030 | health.gov. Health.gov. https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/sexually-transmitted-infections#:~:text=Healthy%20People%202030%20focuses%20onLinks to an external site.
Please respond to question below:
Great discussion on STDs in your community Keileshia. You did a great job discussing STDs in your state. Based on your discussion, do you feel that there is a higher incidence of STDs in African Americans and Hispanics; do you feel that in addition to not being able to afford insurance that education would play a part in this result?
Dr. Richardson
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