ASSIGNMENT 4A

Lifestyle & Health Behavior (assignment 4a)



Lifestyle & Health Behavior (assignment 4a)

Introduction

The paper discusses two articles on the topics of behavioral risk factors in health sciences. Both the articles represent the issues which the patients through due to the health implication in the form of post cancer and HIV problems throughout the treatment and recovery tenure.

Hedden SL, (2008) Gender differences in the prevalence and behavioral risk factors of HIV in South African drug users, Plenum Press, Journal Article; Research Support.

The article describes a research conducted on the HIV inflicted drug users in South Africa and the behavioral risks associated with them. In South Africa, the infection of HIV is due to the experience of women of an epidemic and the heterosexual transmission. It is stated that in South Africa, the cause of gender disparities may be due to the socio demographic and the biological factors. The HIV infections are in the context of the social norms that indirectly or directly affect the risk behaviors and influence the HIV infection. Therefore, in South Africa, the preventive measures need to focus on the issues of gender specific to the South Africa (Hedden, 2008). The preventive strategies should emphasize on the risk factors which are different by gender creating the sexual risk behaviors. For example, the high- risk groups like the drug users who are at the risk of the infection should be identified to better develop the treatment and the prevention plans for individuals. The results of the study did not show the statistical association between HIV and self reported partners. The number of partners became high among the males increasing the likelihood of being tested positive for HIV. This process was not observed among the females. The measures on the drug related HIV included the use of drug cessation ...