Hiv, Hep B, and Hep C

HIV, Hep B, and Hep C

STD's are serious viruses and infections that people take lightly or do not know how to prevent. HIV has a prevalence of 48.3% in the state of Arizona. There are a total of 6,883 people with HIV in Arizona of the ages under 2 through 65 (HIV Epidemiology Program , 2010). The growth of this disease is growing rapidly, majorly in the Phoenix Metropolitan area.

Another preventable disease is hepatitis B, people can take many steps to prevent this but dismiss vaccines and precautions. Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by a virus. There is a high percentage of people with this infection, 1 in 4 people in Arizona are reported to be infected with it annually.

Hepatitis C doesn't fall to far from the high percentages in Arizona. Worldwide there is an estimate of 180 million people facing chronic hepatitis C (HIV Epidemiology Program , 2010). The average age group in Arizona with hepatitis C is between the ages of 35 and 54. Approximately, 100,000 people in the metropolitan area have this infection, but half of the people are unaware.

In my field of study as practical technologist in radiology, I will be dealing with all three of these diseases and more. For example, if someone goes into the emergency room with a compound fraction. Obviously, the patient will be bleeding and most of these if not all of them are rapidly spread through blood contact. The way I can deal with this is by putting on a gown and other protective gear such as gloves. This way neither my hands nor scrubs come in contact with possible hazardous matter in the blood. Afterwards, I will have to sterilize the x-ray table on which the patient laid.

References

HIV Epidemiology Program . (2010, March). Retrieved January 10, 2012, from Arizona Department of Health Services: http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/hiv/reporting/index.htm