Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 1

The current state and future speculations of HIV dominance

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Reference question

The current state and the future of biomedical interventions in HIV (e.g., global health)

The growing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic is a challenge for global

public health, as much of the population infected does not have the proper access to HIV

treatment, prevention and healthcare services. Numerous interventions have been used to

combat HIV, and there is typically a strong focus on education to sensitize the public

about the ramifications of their actions and how they can work to lower the transmission

rate. A strong current mediation can be exemplified by biomedical interventions. This

prevention strategy braces a gradual lasting promise, through male and female barrier

methods which include; HIV vaccines and anti-retroviral therapy. However it possesses

its own trials and tribulations. The only way to better the future of biomedical

interventions is to understand the common problems limiting these current approaches.

Working on these current issues can serve to enhance future biomedical interventions in

HIV prevention and treatment plans.

The current state of biomedical interventions possesses great benefits to the affected

patients and their families. However, these methods have their own set of trials and

tribulations that tend to complicate some aspects related to social well being, personal

grooming basically which inhibit self worth or rather self composure. This can be
Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 2

exemplified within HIV barrior methods. The most common and long-standing

biomedical intervention is the male-controlled HIV prevention, which involves the use of

condoms to assist contain the transmission capacity. Prompt data, from intensive research

records a critical number approximately ninety-five percent effectives in alleviating HIV

infection and transmission if used regularly and correctly

(Anderson, 2003).

However it has become a challenge in the sense that many men underscore the necessity

of using the condom basically due to their compromising beliefs of how inefficient and

dire the outcomes of using it are grave in nature. Such beliefs are biased and unsupported

they are. The nature of protective gears is to avert the risks of contracting the disease if at

all costs the Condom is used in the most right way to avoid it tearing down. The ancient

beliefs on this issue on transmission of HIV underlie the cultural beliefs and practices. In

the most remote parts of the world communities’ people also do not have enough access

to these facilities.

(Czurchy ,2000).

This negative connotation of how to use therefore causes the effectiveness to fall to

seventy percent. These sources documented that ignorance is the basic denominator in

contribution to high records of death rates recorded over time since history. HIV in this

measure has proven to be an international disaster though combative in nature. Where

records of data showing the distribution rates of the combative elements for instance the

retroviral and various condoms basically for women and men. Extensive deaths due to
Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 3

lack of immunity are prevalent among these marginalized groups lost in the core of

interior. Proper practice in accordance to medical practitioners ought to sensitize the

society more about basic elements in controlling more transmission. Health

considerations are paramount to oversee perfect application of donations made to various

disadvantaged societies in different parts of the world.

(Foss, 2004).

Circumcision is another male-specific biomedical intervention—scientific evidence

shows that it lowers the risks of HIV infection. Neglect to the ethical norms of proper

practices in medicine is a platform for such mishandling. Communities in various parts of

the world presently accord their traditional methods of male circumcision. Males have

been known to be circumcised since the Biblical era. Ethical considerations to the norms

and accordance’s by law and God to cut the male fore skin, was a sign of a lasting

covenant throughout the lineage.

More of medical attributes confine more evidence of the bacteria’s located underneath

the skin harbour and break the soft inner tissue during copulation. The factors behind

increased transmission cases are where cultures and multi-cultural orientalism affects the

nature of process articulation. In more concern the process is contaminated through

sharing of the cutting object mixes up the blood contents hence transmitting it if one of

those under operation has the disease.

(Bailey, 2007).
Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 4

Biomedically speaking, the inner mucosal surface of the foreskin is lightly keratinized

making it vulnerable to tears. This increases the susceptibility for the virus to enter and

survive in the blood circulation during sexual intercourse. Therefore male circumcision

can potentially mitigate the epidemic as it provides a way for men to reduce the

contraction of HIV, and lifelong protection

(Padian ,2007).

However it challenges recedes within the global health communities’ ability to provide

more equipment, supplies, and upgrading facilities. In addition to male-controlled HIV

prevention methods there are also female-controlled methods available. The female

condom is the most current biomedical intervention under the control of women. It works

as a physical barrier that suppresses the movement of semen and vaginal secretion into

the female cervix ultimately lowering the transmission of HIV.

(Padian , 2007).

Though this seems as a potential step for female independence in preventive measure it is

still however a current novel biomedical intervention that is challenged by being

unavailable and unacquainted to the general public. Additionally, the female condom

cannot be discreetly used without the male partner being aware, thus limiting its

consistent use.

Another female specific biomedical intervention is the cervical barrior, known as the

diaphragm. The diaphragm is a cervical barrier that covers the cervix, ultimately acting as

a physical barrier to protect women from HIV. The diaphragm is usually combined with

the use of microbicides, which are antiretroviral drugs that is inserted into the vagina

before sexual intercourse to eliminate and suppress the virus.

Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 5

(Mantell ,2006).

Biomedical interventions also include the use of HIV vaccines. The vaccine’s intended

goal is to be a safe and an effectivemethod to reduce the viral load and prevent the initial

infection. This is done through the use of a neutralizing antibody that stimulates cellular

immunity to the virus. This will ultimately suppress the virus replication and hinder its

disease progression. This sub-class of biomedical intervention shows promise especially

for the long-term benefits; however it still has current challenges to cover. One of the

challenges is that there are many genetic variants of the virus within different individuals.

This would require a vaccine that is more personalized to prevent these different strains.

(Padian ,2008).

Furthermore a clinical trial conducted by Rerks-Ngarm proposed a vaccine that required

the patients to receive five injections within a year. The participants were then monitored

for three years afterwards to see if there were any significant improvements in alleviating

the virus. The results did showmodest benefits from the vaccine, however one of the

greatestlimitationswas the participant’s adherence to the vaccine regime.

Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is another important sub-class of biomedical intervention

that shows promising results in alleviating HIV.

(Rerks-Ngarm, 2009).

ART uses a drug that can prevent and slow down the growth of the virus. It also works to

lower the viral load within the body’s tissue, blood and genitals. This drug also works to

prevent the passage of the virus to the individual’s partner if used correctly and

consistently.

(Quinn, 2000).
Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 6

The challenge that arises from this form of biomedical intervention is the low adherence

to the drugs. This is similar to the HIV vaccine by the participants within the trial. If not

maintaining the drug intake regimen, this will cause the patients to develop drug

resistance and prevent them to advance further in the treatment. However most

importantly, low adhesion will cause those who are already living with HIV to develop

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

(Rerks-Ngarm, 2009).

Although the biomedical intervention of male and female barrior methods, HIV vaccines

and ART show great promise in alleviating HIV infection—they share a current common

limitation that holds them back in becoming a future potential cure, which is the

understanding that there is no pure biomedical method. To deem success in the future,

biomedical intervention requires a behavioural counterpart. The behavioural aspect

encourages the uptake, adherence and acceptance of the prevention method and vigilance

of the risk prospection. This can be exemplified by the use of the male condom. Through

the influence of movies and peers, adolescents are taught that condoms block pleasure,

intimacy and spontaneity. These negative connotations have great influence to the low

adhesion to condoms during sexual intercourse. However with the addition to the

behavioural aspect to the biomedical intervention, this can motivate behavioural change

through the use of educational and skill-building methods. This will encourage proper

utilization of the condom, and maintenance of safe sexual activities. Additionally by

using marking campaigns to increase awareness and access to condoms can help bring a

change in behaviour.
Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 7

(Bekker, 2012).

With respect to male circumcision and HIV vaccine, the research study conducted by

Crosby and Holtgrave stated that participants with either procedure would believe that

they are protected and immune to the infection as a consequence they would increase

their HIV risk behaviours. Through the course of medical practices the risk is imperative

in nature; it puts all genders in a trajectory assessment into submission to both genders to

get circumcised. For women this case is vile in nature since it increases the rates of

transmission to higher levels

(Crosby & Holtgrave, 2006).

However with the behavioural intervention of using educational approaches, the

participants of either biomedical prevention intervention can realize the associated risk

perception

By understanding the risk that is involved with HIV can further encourage adhesion rates

in clinical trials or within the ART intervention

(Bekker, 2012).

For future success with adhesion in biomedical intervention, there should be programs

for individuals to develop the necessary skills for basic medication management and

build an emotional connection to their treatment plan. This is because the patients that

believe that their treatment regime is going to benefit them are the ones who are going to

have an easier time adhering. However information alone will not be sufficient for long-

term adhesion – there must be additional social support, therapeutic and counselling

methods
Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 8

(Smith-Rohrberg, 2006).

In the case of female biomedical intervention, there is a lack of vigilance; the female

condom can exemplify this. To succeed in this form of biomedical preventive measure in

the future, education and community normative methods can encourage and make women

aware that they are able to protect themselves without the reliance on their sexual partner

(Padian, 2008).

Only when prevention researchers implicate the solution to these current tribulations will

the future of biomedical intervention will be successful in treating HIV. Regardless of it

being the current biomedical interventions or the future—it will not be successful if it is

used purely on its own. By supporting it with other interventions, such as behavioural—

this will aid in its development of a better futurefor biomedical methods. Establishing an

appropriate behaviour sets the foundation of educatingindividuals on the potential risk of

HIV, the uptake and most importantly the adhesion to the preventative measures. When

the individuals are aware of the consequences they take full ownership to better their

health and take part in using condoms, ART drugs, and adhere to vaccine trial regimes,

ultimately improving future biomedical interventions.

Running head: FUTURE OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS 9

Czuchry, M., Timpson, S., Williams. (2009). Improving condom self efficacy and use

among individuals living with HIV: The positive choices mapping intervention. Journal

of Substance Use, (pp. 14(3-4), 230-239).

Rerks-Ngarm, S., Pitisuttithum, P., Nitayaphan, S. (2009). Vaccination with ALVAC and

AIDSVAX to Prevent HIV-1 Infection in Thailand .New England Journal of Medicine,

(pp. 361), 23.

Smith-Rohrberg, D., Mezger, J., Walton, M., Bruce, R. D., & Altice, F. L. (2006). Impact

of Enhanced Services on Virology Outcomes in a Directly Administered Antiretroviral

Therapy Trial for HIV-Infected Drug Users. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune

Deficiency Syndromes, 43(Supplement 1).

Anderson, J. E. (2003). Condom Use and HIV Risk Among US Adults. American Journal

of Public Health, (pp.93) 6.

Foss, A. M., Watts, C. H., Vickerman, P., &Heise, L. (2004). Condoms and prevention of

HIV. Bmj, (pp.329) 7459.

Bailey, R. C., Moses, S., Parker, J. O. (2007). Male circumcision for HIV prevention in

young men in Kisumu, Kenya: A randomised controlled trial. The Lancet,

(pp.369) 9562.

Padian, N. S., G., Chipato, T., Bruyn, G. D., Blanchard, K. (2007). Diaphragm and
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lubricant gel for prevention of HIV acquisition in southern African women: A

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Quinn, T. C., Wawer, M. J., Sewankambo, N., Serwadda, D., Li, C., Wabwire-Mangen,

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