DB3 Critique

Policies to Help Tackle the HIV Burden in Gay Black Men
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Policies to Help Tackle the HIV Burden in Gay Black Men
In 2010, approximately 76% of adolescents and adults who were HIV positive in the US were men. Among all the men, those from the black Americans community have higher HIV infection rates (CDC, 2017). Due to the high rates of infection among gay black men in Atlanta, the assignment entailed researching the topic and coming up with three problem definitions for policy formulation. Problem definition plays a critical role in policy analysis, as it lays the foundation for planning and structuring of the projects.
The post tackled the problem clearly. The number of black men with HIV who have access to proper health care is too low, was picked as the most suitable problem definition. This is true because coming up with policies to address the number of black gay men with access to proper healthcare could have direct effects on the rates of HIV infections. Modification of policies to provide more affordable health care and insurance covers would directly increase the access of gay black men to health care, which would ultimately lead to increased protection against HIV, and management of those infected already. Policies formulated could also help address the other two problems, for example, increased funding would lead to more social education on HIV, which would, in turn, reduce social stigmatization.
However, the post did not clearly state the role played by the various stakeholders in solving the HIV epidemic in black gay men.

Stakeholders form a vital part of the problem-solving process. The reasons why gay black men have higher rates of HIV infections as compared to the rest of the population were also not well addressed. To come up with an effective prevention policy, the factors causing the problem must be well addressed.
Reference
CDC. (2017, March 9). HIV Among Men in the United States. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/gender/men/index.html

THE HIV BURDEN IN BLACK MEN PAGE * MERGEFORMAT 2

Running head: THE HIV BURDEN IN BLACK MEN PAGE * MERGEFORMAT 1