Recommendations for Prevention and Control
Recommendations to decrease the rates of HIV/AIDS implied by these findings are listed below.
1. Adequate STD education programs need to be developed in urban areas and colleges, promoting abstinence and safe sex. It is apparent that unsafe sex is probably occurring among youths and teens as shown by the Chlamydia rates. Education programs should promote safe sex in order to reduce Chlamydia and HIV/AIDS rates.
2. HIV/AIDS awareness programs need to be developed in East Texas where there are high populations of Blacks. Because the symptoms of HIV can take up to ten years to show, many spread the virus without realizing that they could even have it. Awareness programs should provide context of the virus, how it is spread, the symptoms associated with it, free testing, and a general awareness of the threat that HIV/AIDS has become among Black populations.
3. STD and safe sex education programs need to be developed for middle school students to encourage abstinence and safe sex education among all children especially those in at-risk groups such as children who live in single-parent households.
4. Free testing in urban areas should be implemented in order to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. Where there are high population densities, there are higher risks of contracting a disease. Often, infected people are unaware that they have HIV because they show no symptoms. Free testing will provide the results on an individual basis and the knowledge of one’s health status.
5. Testing facilities in East Texas, urban centers, and colleges need to be more accessible to people at risk of developing HIV/AIDS. It is apparent that East Texas and urban populations have the highest rates of infection. If there were access to healthcare facilities in these regions, perhaps the rate would decrease as more people were tested, treated, and made aware of their health status.