NR 586 Week 7 Discussion: Analyzing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Grace J.
September 2, 2025September 2, 2025
CU MSN, NR-586

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-586: Population Health and Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Describe one health policy related to an identified health risk or disparity.

One significant health policy that addresses a critical health risk in the United States is the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). Initially launched in 2010 and updated in 2015 and 2021, the NHAS was designed to provide a coordinated national response to the HIV epidemic. The strategy focuses on reducing new infections, increasing access to care, and improving the health and well-being of individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Importantly, it prioritizes populations disproportionately affected by HIV, including racial and ethnic minorities, men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender individuals, and people living in high-prevalence geographic areas.

The policy emphasizes prevention through education, testing, and treatment, while also addressing social determinants of health such as poverty, stigma, and lack of healthcare access that contribute to health disparities in HIV outcomes. By integrating both medical and social interventions, NHAS represents a comprehensive framework to reduce the burden of HIV across vulnerable populations.

Summarize the intended impact of the policy on the risk or disparity.

The primary goal of NHAS is to reduce the number of new HIV infections and minimize disparities in health outcomes among disproportionately impacted communities. The policy aims to:

Lower HIV incidence rates by expanding preventive strategies like widespread testing, early diagnosis, and treatment as prevention (TasP).
Improve quality of life for people living with HIV by ensuring consistent access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), improving retention in care, and supporting viral suppression.
Address structural barriers such as stigma, discrimination, and unequal healthcare access, which fuel disparities in HIV outcomes.

By focusing on early diagnosis and sustained treatment adherence, the policy intends to reduce HIV transmission, prolong life expectancy, and close the gap in care between minority and majority populations.

Examine the policy within the context of a national population health initiative and determine the degree to which the policy is congruent with that national population health goal and/or objective.

The NHAS aligns strongly with the Healthy People 2030 framework, which includes objectives to:

Decrease new HIV infections.
Increase the proportion of people living with HIV who know their status.
Ensure timely linkage to HIV medical care within one month of diagnosis.
Reduce disparities in HIV incidence among key populations.

NHAS and Healthy People 2030 share the overarching vision of achieving health equity and eliminating disparities. NHAS advances this mission by promoting culturally competent care, improving health literacy, and tailoring interventions to populations that have historically faced systemic barriers to healthcare. Thus, the policy is not only congruent but also essential to achieving national health equity objectives.

Table 1

Congruence of NHAS with Healthy People 2030 Objectives

Healthy People 2030 Objective	NHAS Alignment
Reduce new HIV infections	Implements widespread testing, prevention campaigns, and PrEP promotion.
Increase proportion of individuals aware of HIV status	Promotes routine screening and early diagnosis strategies.
Improve timely linkage to care	Prioritizes linkage to care within 30 days of diagnosis.
Reduce health disparities among minority populations	Focuses interventions on MSM, racial/ethnic minorities, and transgender individuals.
Achieve viral suppression in people living with HIV	Supports treatment adherence and access to ART to ensure long-term suppression.

Propose one strategy to address the health risk or disparity.

One effective strategy to strengthen the NHAS and address HIV-related disparities is to expand access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP has proven to be highly effective in preventing HIV transmission among individuals at high risk, yet utilization remains low in vulnerable communities due to financial, cultural, and systemic barriers.

A comprehensive strategy should include:

Education and outreach campaigns targeting high-risk populations to raise awareness of PrEP and reduce stigma associated with its use.
Policy initiatives to lower costs, such as Medicaid expansion and drug price negotiations, ensuring affordability for uninsured or underinsured individuals.
Integration of PrEP services into primary care and community health settings to make access routine and less stigmatized.
Provider training to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to prescribe PrEP and counsel patients effectively.

By scaling up access to PrEP, policymakers can enhance prevention efforts, reduce new HIV infections, and advance NHAS’s mission to eliminate disparities in HIV-related health outcomes.

References

Office of National AIDS Policy. (2015). National HIV/AIDS strategy for the United States: Updated to 2020. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://files.hiv.gov/s3fs-public/nhas-update.pdf

Office of National AIDS Policy. (2021). National HIV/AIDS strategy (2022–2025): A roadmap to end the epidemic in the United States. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://hivgov-prod-v3.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2021-12/NHAS-2022-2025.pdf