NURS FPX 4060 Assessment 1 Health Promotion Plan
Student Name Capella University NURS-FPX 4060 Practicing in the Community to Improve Population Health Prof. Name Date Health Promotion Plan Community health initiatives aim to target communities’ health concerns in social and cultural contexts. These initiatives enable people in a particular community to take control of physical, mental, social, and cultural aspects affecting their health. The community health concerns are addressed by assessing the conditions and needs of that community (Barker et al., 2021). Multiple factors can hinder the resistance to disease growth, and people repeatedly fall back on the same issues without a long-term solution. It takes a holistic evaluation of factors to prevent diseases and promote better health outcomes. The community initiative includes educational and literacy awareness for disease lingering in a specific community (Naqvi & Gale, 2020). One such health concern is Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that every year in the United States, 19,000 women and 12,000 men are infected by HPV (CDC, 2021). HPV cause cancers of many types, for instance, cervical, anal, mouth, throat, and penis. Women are more affected than men, and 4000 women die due to cervical cancer every year. World Health Organization (WHO) says that HPV is diagnosed in men having intercourse with men, people with various sexual partners, sexually abused children, and immune-compromised people (WHO, 2023). There are no symptoms of HPV, and the only way to be aware of this virus is through visible genital warts, which means lumps or blisters at genital or cervical cancer diagnosis. This paper aims to develop a health promotion plan to address this risky and preventive viral disease. Analysis of Health Concerns CDC says that there are 42.5 million people with HPV in the United States (Elflein, 2023). It is a common disease and can affect millions more people over time. This virus can potentially stay with a person hidden and show at any point in life. People with HPV never know that they are infected. The genital warts are expected to be in one of every 100 individuals. Similarly, cervix cancer affects 12 thousand women every year (CDC, 2021). The existence of HPV depends on how sexually active a person is. However, women are more infected with HPV than men. Around 625,000 women and 69,000 men each year get HPV-caused cancer (WHO, 2023). NURS FPX 4060 Assessment 1 Health Promotion Plan There are 150 types of HPV, but only high-risk types cause genital warts or develop cancer. The interesting fact about HPV is that it can affect any sexually active person. That person can be unaware of that until it worsens to become a genital wart or cancer. Studies have shown that middle and low-income households have more chances of being infected with HPV than high-income households (Galeshi et al., 2022). As women are more affected, it affects their psychological state after being diagnosed with HPV cancer. The emotional state is affected by the diagnosis of cancer, and multiple psychosocial pressures in mind affect the person with HPV. A person may feel fear, anxiety, shame, or guilt after being diagnosed with HPV (Amboree & Darkoh, 2020). The preventive measures used to address HPV concerns in society are vaccinations and screening tests. Vaccinations are highly recommended for pre-teens, which means children aged 11 or 12, and it is recommended to get vaccinated before turning 26 years old (CDC, 2021). As HPV can occur at any time of life, people above the age of 26 must get regular screening for chances of cancer diagnosis. With its ambiguous existence and critical impact on a person’s physical, mental, and social health, it is important to address HPV preventive health issues by developing preventive measures (Galeshi et al., 2022). Assumptions and Uncertainties The common assumption about HPV is that once it has developed cancer, it is not curable. However, it is curable and completely preventive with specific considerations like vaccination and screening. HPV vaccine for people under the age of 26 years is beneficial. After that age group of 26-45, men and women would not benefit from vaccinations, another assumption related to HPV health concerns (Kim et al., 2021). The uncertainties to this health need lie in whether vaccination compliance is accepted at a large scale and whether or not pre-teens, teens, and adults take vaccination doses. The cost of educating and providing vaccination and screening services for women and men of low-income communities is also still being determined. The mental and psychosocial stigmas are also uncertain as they vary from person to person (Kim et al., 2021). Need for Health Promotion WHO states that cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of death, causing more than 600,000 women and 342,000 deaths in 2020 (WHO, 2022). It is also prevalent in middle and low-income communities, making it hard to access preventive measures and treat HPV. Studies have also shown that women with co-infections like HIV have chances of developing cervical cancer six times higher than other women. Age is an essential factor to consider for the need for health promotion. The age range from 15-25 is considered when HPV is most likely infected in a person, and over time, it becomes prevalent (Clarke et al., 2021). Age-related, behavioral, and biological factors can impact a person’s health. As HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, the peak of acquiring this infection is before 26 years of age. Behavioral patterns include the number of partners, unsafe intercourse, and polygamous relations, while biological aspects include a weak immune system or immunosuppressive injections that do not fight HPV effectively (Clarke et al., 2021). Research has shown that gender-wise, women are diagnosed with HPV more than men, ethnically black women are more affected than white women, socially high class is affected less than middle and low class, and teenagers along with early adults have more chances of HPV-caused genital warts, cervical cancers, and non-cervical cancers (Amboree & Darkoh, 2020). Studies have also shown mental, financial, and emotional burdens on people realizing they have acquired a sexually transmitted disease. This highlights the development of effective health promotion plans