NR 511 Week 6 Barriers to Health Equity

Paper Instructions

Preparing the Discussion

Follow these guidelines when completing each component of the discussion. Contact your course faculty if you have questions.

General Instructions

Healthy People 2030 goals include reducing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their complications and improving access to quality STD care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (n.d.) estimates that there are more than 20 million new cases of STDs in the U.S. each year. STD rates are disproportionately higher among racial/ethnic minorities, youth, and LGBTQ+ populations, which cannot be fully explained by differences in individual risk behavior. Other factors, including discrimination, environmental injustice, wealth inequality, and healthcare access barriers may contribute to these disproportionate rates.

View STD data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,2021) by following these steps.

  • Access the CDC Atlas PlusLinks to an external site. site.
  • Select STD from the STEP 1 prompt What data do you want to see?
  • Select Charts from the STEP 2 prompt How do you want to see them?
  • Access STD chartsLinks to an external site..
  • Navigate to the left-hand search box titled Select Data
    • Select STD from the indicator category.
    • Select the state in which you will practice from the geography category.

Include the following sections:

I. Application of Course Knowledge

Answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail. Examine the CDC Atlas Plus website data presented in the charts and address the following:

a. Explain what the data indicates about infections rates based on age, race, and gender.
b. Identify evidence of disparities. Explain your rationale.
c. Discuss biases or barriers that may contribute to disparities in STD rates in your state.
d. Return to the left side of the screen and change the geography indicator category to the United States. Discuss how rates in your state compare to those of the U.S. as a nation.
e. Describe two person-centered actions the nurse practitioner can use to promote STD self-care management for marginalized clients.
f. Discuss opportunities for interprofessional collaboration to address disparities in STD rates.

II. Integration of Evidence

Integrate relevant scholarly sources as defined by program expectations

a. Cite a scholarly source in the initial post.
b. Cite a scholarly source in one faculty response post.
c. Cite a scholarly source in one peer post.
d. Accurately analyze, synthesize, and/or apply principles from evidence with no more than one short quote (15 words or less) for the week.
e. Include a minimum of two different scholarly sources per week. Cite all references and provide references for all citations.

III. Engagement in Meaningful Dialogue

Engage peers and faculty by asking questions, and offering new insights, applications, perspectives, information, or implications for practice.

a. Peer Response Respond to at least one peer on a topic other than the initially assigned topic.
b. Faculty Response Respond to at least one faculty post.
c. Communicate using respectful, collegial language and terminology appropriate to advanced nursing practice.

IV. Professionalism in Communication

Communicate with minimal errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation.

V. Reference Citation

Use current APA format to format citations and references and is free of errors.

VI. Wednesday Participation Requirement

Provide a substantive response to the graded discussion topic (not a response to a peer or faculty), by Wednesday, 11 59 p.m. MT of each week.

VII. Total Participation Requirement

Provide at least three substantive posts (one to the initial question or topic, one to a student peer, and one to a faculty question) on two different days during the week.

We Work Hard So That You Don’t

We’ll write a 100% plagiarism-free paper in under 1 hour.

The CDC released the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Surveillance, 2021 during STI Awareness Week (CDC, 2021). The annual report indicates that infections have continued to increase, posing a threat to the overall health of the nation. In 2021, over 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported. This discussion aims to examine the obstacles to achieving health equity in the management of STDs in the state of California.

Data

The prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in the United States showed a continued upward trend in 2021. In comparison to 2020, the state of California had an increase in the morbidity of all three bacterial STIs (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) in 2021 (CDC, 2021). The prevalence of STIs continued to show startling differences, with the greatest rates seen among young people (aged 20–34), Black/African American individuals, homosexual and bisexual men, and other individuals who have male–to–male sexual contact (GBMMSC).

Evidence

Persaud et al. (2023) found that certain racial or ethnic minority groups exhibit elevated rates of STDs in comparison to the white population. It is crucial to recognize that these elevated rates are not attributable to ethnicity or heritage but rather to social circumstances that disproportionately impact minority populations. Socioeconomic factors, including poverty, income inequality, limited employment opportunities, and low educational attainment, can challenge individuals in maintaining sexual well-being (Tomcho et al., 2022).

Biases Or Barriers

In California, there is a notable disparity in the rates of STD infection, with higher prevalence observed among young individuals, racial/ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities. Variations in individual risk behaviors cannot entirely account for the variability in infection rates among susceptible populations in this state (Persaud et al., 2023). Numerous additional problems in California, such as financial inequality, environmental injustice, discrimination, microaggressions, and impediments to healthcare access, all contribute to the ongoing disproportionate effect on specific communities.

Comparison

In the United States, the prevalence of STDs is substantial, with over 110 million individuals currently affected and an annual incidence of 20 million new infections. Common STDs include Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). California has an STD rate of 670.2 cases per 100,000 individuals, placing it as the twenty-seventh state in terms of STD prevalence in the United States (CDC, 2021). Since 2012, there has been a consistent rise in the incidence of STDs in the state, primarily affecting young adults aged 20-34 years.

Person Centered Actions

To promote self-care management for marginalized clients with STDs, nurses can encourage patients to adopt practical strategies to avoid risky sexual behavior. These strategies may include using condoms, limiting the number of sexual partners, separating drug use from sexual activity, and scheduling regular STI screenings for both the patient and their partner (Tomcho et al., 2022). Patient-centered care is crucial for effectively addressing the needs of patients with STIs, particularly when it comes to sensitive or emotionally charged health concerns.

Interprofessional Collaboration

Interprofessional collaboration has the potential to decrease rates of STDs. Medical professionals can collaborate to develop educational materials and initiatives to prevent STDs. Treatment will be overseen by a clinician, such as a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. However, the specific involvement of infectious disease specialists or other specialists may vary depending on the nature of the disease and its progression (Tomcho et al., 2022). Nurses will support patient examinations, provide counseling, and act as intermediaries among interprofessional team members. Psychologists and mental health professionals may also be required to provide expertise in these cases.

References

  • 1. (2021). AtlasPlus – Charts. Cdc.gov. https //gis.cdc.gov/grasp/nchhstpatlas/charts.htmlLinks to an external site.
  • Persaud, N., Sabir, A., Woods, H., Sayani, A., Agarwal, A., Chowdhury, M., Leon-Demare, K. de, Ibezi, S., Jan, S. H., Katz, A., LaFortune, F.-D., Lewis, M., McFarlane, T., Oberai, A., Oladele, Y., Onyekwelu, O., Peters, L., Wong, P., & Lofters, A. (2023). Preventive care recommendations to promote health equity. CMAJ, 195(37), E1250–E1273. https //doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.230237Links to an external site.
  • Tomcho, M. M., Lou, Y., O’Leary, S. C., Rinehart, D. J., Thomas-Gale, T., Penny, L., & Frost, H. M. (2022). Closing the equity gap An intervention to improve chlamydia and gonorrhea testing for adolescents and young adults in primary care. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 13, 215013192211313. https //doi.org/10.1177/21501319221131382

We Work Hard So That You Don’t

We’ll write a 100% plagiarism-free paper in under 1 hour