Book Review of Robert Klitgaard's Tropical Gangsters Essay

Book Review of Robert Klitgaard's Tropical Gangsters - Essay Example The book tells the story of the author who, equipped with his surfboard and a $10-million-dollar loan from the World Bank, makes an attempt to rehabilitate the ruined economy of Equatorial Guinea, one of the most backward countries in the world. Robert Klitgaard, a Harvard-trained economist, in the story, deals with several important questions which are relevant to much of the world. "As in most other countries carrying out free market reforms, Equatorial Guinea's leaders have not always known quite how to make the new strategy work - or, in some cases, whether they should really try. This ignorance and reluctance, though extreme, are in many ways prototypical, and they raise general questions. How does one go about assessing an economy's strengths and weaknesses How does one go about developing the institutions needed to make free markets work And how can one help recalcitrant, inefficient, sometimes corrupt government move forward" (Klitgaard, ix-x) Apart from these essential quest ions, the author also deals with the important role of international aid which further gives rise to new questions. Thus, the author investigates the creative possibilities and inherent limitations of outside assistance, the tensions between aid and dependency, between benevolence and autonomy, and the possible ways of action in this context. In the context of economic and political changes taking place in Africa, Robert Klitgaard is engaged in a fascinating and compelling account of his two-and-a-half-year adventure in Equatorial Guinea and it provides an insightful explanation of why foreign aid often fails to achieve its goals. In the book Tropical Gangsters: One Man's Experience with Development and Decadence in Deepest Africa, Klitgaard, who is the former head of a multi-million dollar economic development program in the Equatorial Guinea, convincingly gives an account of his struggles against government corruption, capitalist adventures, and bankrupt economic theories. The narrator was sent as an economist-consultant to Equatorial Guinea, a small West African nation which is one of the poorest countries of the world, by the World Bank in 1985. Klitgaard has been highly effective in blending his personal reminiscence and economic analysis in his engaging memoir of his two-and-a-half-year struggle to rehabilitate the local economy. In the background of the modern tendency to move toward the free market across the world, the author suggests how the countries of Africa welcomed free market for economic development. "Africa has been the vanguard of a worldwide movement away from state-controlled economies and toward the free market. For years the prevailing wisdom concerning economic development advocated an interventionist state. Government should be the mobilizers and managers of resources. In contrast, the new movement says that the private sector is the key to economic growth, and downplays the state's role as mobilizer and manager." (Klitgaard, 7) Thus, the author deals with the various aspects of the backward economies of the African countries and he makes exceptional note of lethargy, corruption, and adventurism as the basic issues affecting the progress of these economies. In his analyses of the economic problems facing Equatorial Guinea, Klitgaard focuses on cogent and convincing issues such imports outstripping exports, lack

Sexuality in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sexuality in Islam - Essay Example Allah has described very dreadful punishments both in this world and in the world hereafter for the people who practice homosexuality. Allah says in the Quran, â€Å"What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, and leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are forward folk† (Qur'an 26:165 cited in â€Å"Islam and Homosexuality†). The people of Hazrat Lut (P.B.U.H.) practiced homosexuality. They practiced it both indoor and in the public. Prophet Lut (P.B.U.H.) repeatedly told them to stop this practice, but they would not listen, thus inviting the wrath of Allah and one day, those people were all destroyed together by Allah. Islam condemns homosexuality because it has myriad evil consequences. Homosexuality distorts the family system and deprives people of their gender traits. Islam allows the man to marry no more than four women at one time. Polygamy has been practiced by a lot of prophets in the history of Islam. Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Proph et Jacob, and the Prophet Solomon had three, two, four, and 700 wives respectively (â€Å"An Introduction to Polygamy†). Critics say that if man is allowed to keep four wives at one time, the woman should also be allowed to keep up to four husbands at one time. But polygamy is in no circumstances allowed for the women in Islam. This makes sense. When a man marries four women, the child any of the wives would bear would be certainly his. On the contrary, when a woman makes love with more than one man at a time, there is no certainty in the child’s belongingness to a particular man unless the child is genetically tested. In addition to that, women generally outnumber men. Thus, when a man marries more than once, more women are likely to get married in their life than otherwise. Although polygamy for men is allowed in Islam, yet it is not practiced equally in all Islamic countries. Polygamy is so well-practiced by the Muslims in the Arabia, that it has also become a cultu ral trait. Polygamy is so ingrained in the Arab culture that a man keeps all the wives in the same home but in different rooms. In many Muslim countries including India and Pakistan, women cannot stand another wife of their husband. They cannot share their husband’s love with another woman. This is the reason why practicing polygamy for a Muslim man in these counties exposes him to a lot of cultural and social issues, though he is religiously justified as long as he does justice to all of the wives. There is a very sheer population of Muslim men in India and Pakistan that have more than one wife at the same time. This is purely a cultural issue. In these countries, women cannot even bear a look of their husband’s wife, what to talk of living in the same home like the Arabian women do. It is noteworthy that while Islam allows the man to keep up to four wives at one time, Islam also obliges the man to do justice to each of the four. This essentially means that a man has to distribute equal amount of money, time and assets among the wives. If a man has two wives and he lives with one more than the other, he is doing injustice and will be held accountable for his actions on the doom’s day. There are no age restrictions in marriage in Islam. A man can get married to an elder woman and so can a woman. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) was only 25 years old when he was proposed by Hazrat Khadija (P.B.U.H.) who was 40 years old at

Type and density of liquid Essay Example for Free

Type and density of liquid Essay These are the variables that I could choose to focus on. I have chosen to focus and adapt on the idea of insulation. Prediction I predict that the more insulation (layers) there is, the smaller the reduction in heat. I think this because when the outside air tries to touch the container to cool it, it will be stopped by the insulation, so it will take longer to cool. Also, when heat tries to escape from the container, it will go into the first layer of insulation, which will then absorb the heat. It would then still keep the container warm, not letting as much heat out as fast. I also predict that if I have a lid it will take even longer to cool, because, as you can see in the picture below, evaporation will also take place. If I have a lid, the heat will then be stopped from escaping into the air through the top. As shown below- Equipment   Timer- this is to time the amount of time the liquid is in the container. This will make sure that the time will be the same for each experiment.   Data logger and Thermometer- this is to take the temperature of the water. I will use two forms of identifying the temperature. This way I can compare the two results and see if there are any drastic differences. Also, a datalogger is accurate, but I will still use a thermometer to back up my results.   Insulation Material- I am going to use a foam type material as my insulation.   Clamp- I will use a clamp to hold both the datalogger and thermometer above the container.   Container- I am going to use a glass beaker to hold the liquid. I am using this instead of a polystyrene cup, because the cup would hold residue heat, which would affect our results. Also a polystyrene cup is already quite insulated. * Kettle- this is to heat the liquid before I put it in the container. I will clean out the kettle, to make sure there is no black, therefore the heat will be reflected back into the kettle, instead off being absorbed. This should help it to reach its highest temperature. I will make sure that there is 1litre of water in the kettle each time put it on to boil. Measuring Apparatus- I will put the water directly into the glass beaker, measuring it in there. Lid- To put over the glass beaker to try and prevent evaporation. Fair Testing and Other Factors that need to be controlled There are things that I will need to try and make sure are the same throughout my experiment. These are: Amount of liquid- I will have to make sure that each time I refill the glass beaker I have the same amount of liquid. To do this I will measure it in some measuring apparatus. Each time I will use the same type and size of measuring apparatus, for the same accuracy. To make this even fairer I will simply measure the amount of water in my glass beaker, so I know that it will always be the same. Temperature of surroundings- there is not much I can do to control this, but to make sure there is no drastic change, I will stay away from radiators and places in direct sunlight. Shape, Colour, Size, Surface Area and Thickness of container- will have to be the same throughout my experiment to keep it fair and to get reliable results. For instance, if I had a different colour container each time I did my experiment it would affect my results. This would be, because instead of reflecting the heat back in, if I had a black container it would absorb the heat. To make sure of this I will use the same container each time.   Temperature of liquid to start- I will try to keep the around the same. If I cannot keep the temperature the same I will just measure the difference between the two (start and end). Type and Density of Liquid- I will keep using the same type of liquid throughout my experiment because some types may loose heat at a different rate than others. I will use water because it is easily available, and it is the same each time.   Surface container is on- will have to be the same. If for example I was to put it on a foam surface one day, and something different another day, it would affect how much heat is lost. This is due to the surface acting as insulation.   Lid- I am going to use a lid each time. This should stop a lot of heat reduction through evaporation, which I have already explained in my prediction.

The Ubiquitous Media Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Ubiquitous Media    The news media is an ubiquitous presence in our times. Whether it is the switching of a television channel, turning a radio dial, signing on the Internet, or glancing at a newspaper, the media is present. It is a social infrastructure that was created to inform citizens of happenings, but has now become a multi-billion dollar association of corporations and advertising agencies. The real price of the media is incalculable because of how it shapes and molds our views of the world. This influence for the most part is positive and horizon expanding but may have negative connotations.    The news media is limitless. It provides for me all the basic factual information I need in order to be an informed citizen. By reading a newspaper or watching the evening news, I gain a wider view of the world. My opinions are formed partly by the news because of the facts given. My viewpoints are not formed entirely by the news media though; there is a definite difference between believing and simply listening.    Some of America tends to be easily inf...

Brutus in an Honorable Man.

Estne Virtus? Confucius said that, â€Å"People with virtue must speak out; people who speak are not all virtuous. † Confucius lived in China around 500 BCE and voiced novel opinions on virtue, politics, ethics, and other abstract ideas. Even today, thousands of years later, many people believe in Confucianism. Confucius was very vocal. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar no man is more vocal than Brutus. He assassinates Caesar, pleads to the people for their support, and conducts war with Octavian and Marc Anthony. But is he virtuous? Brutus is not necessarily virtuous; he does all of these actions to gain glory and to show his virtue. Everyone should aspire to be virtuous. However, as seen by Marc Antony and Cassius manipulating Brutus and Brutus’s death, excessive pursuit of virtue can be detrimental. Brutus’s excessive obsession for virtue leads to his failure. Brutus loves Julius Caesar; however Cassius manages to turn Brutus against Caesar by taking advantage of Brutus’s obsession with virtue. Cassius urges Brutus to â€Å"think of the world† and kill Caesar for the good of Rome (1. 2 329). Cassius explains to Brutus that Caesar must be killed in order to preserve Rome, and not because of any other reason, like Cassius’s jealousy. Cassius explains that Caesar is unfit, saying that â€Å"Caesar cannot even swim†, and unworthy to rule Rome, saying that Brutus is more fit. Brutus does not respond to the statements made by Cassius, and draws more attention to the â€Å"general shout[s]† of the people (1. 2 139). Brutus avoids the questions and must â€Å"recount hereafter† of Cassius’s reasoning, Brutus needs time to consider if the conspiracy is virtuous or not (1. 2 174). If virtuous, then he will act. Although Brutus does admit that â€Å"Brutus had rather be a villager / than to repute himself a son of Rome / under these hard conditions at this time / is like to lay upon us† (1. 181-184). Brutus dislikes the dishonor that the tyranny of Caesar brings to Rome. He thinks it detracts from his own virtue. He cares for his virtue. Later on, Cassius also sends letters to Brutus posing as Roman citizens. Cassius gives Brutus the impression that citizens beg him to â€Å"speak, stri ke, and redress† (2. 1 49). When Brutus thinks that the people want Caesar to fall, Brutus tells himself that he joins the conspiracy for the people. In actuality, he joins the conspiracy not to preserve the Republic but to show virtue, to look better, more virtuous, in the eyes of the Roman people. Brutus is not concerned for the people, but for his image when he joins the conspiracy. Brutus should kill Marc Antony when he has the chance, and not be so concerned for his own image. For instance, when Cassius proposes to Brutus that they kill Antony along with Caesar, Brutus thinks that by killing Antony the people will look to him as â€Å"butcher† and not a â€Å"sacrificer† (2. 1 179). Instead, Brutus wants the conspirators to â€Å"[appear] to the common eyes† as â€Å"purgers, not murderers† (2. 1 192 193). This shows that Brutus bases his choices on whether or not people would view him as virtuous. Although, he acts foolishly, for he not only prevents the conspirators from killing Antony, he allows Antony, Caesar’s right hand man, to speak last in Caesar’s funeral. To Brutus, Antony â€Å"can do nothing more than Caesar’s arm / When Caesar’s head is cut off† (2. 1 195-196). Brutus lets Antony speak because it would be viewed as an act of kindness and forgiveness to what was an enemy previously. When Antony enters the pulpit after Brutus, he wins the crowd and convinces them of the conspiracy’s evil. The crowd, the Roman people, now want to set â€Å"fire [to] the traitors’ houses† (3. 269). Brutus thinks he fights for the people, though the people think otherwise. If Brutus had killed Antony, and not been so concerned about virtue, Brutus would have been able to remain in Rome, remain loved by his people. Brutus commits suicide because he believes that doing so will cause people will think of him as virtuous. Brutus is lef t to fight Antony and Octavian by himself at Philippi because Cassius kills himself. Knowing the circumstances, Brutus would rather â€Å"leap in [the pit himself]† than â€Å"tarry till they push [him]† (5. 28-29). Brutus would just as soon kill himself than have himself killed. His reasoning come from the Roman belief that when a person faces dishonor, maybe a military loss, killing oneself is a virtuous way to still obtain honor in spite of what occurred. He declares â€Å"I love / the name of honor more than [he] fear[s] death† and so he runs onto his sword (1. 2 95-96). In doing so Brutus has now doomed the preservation of the Republic for the people. If Brutus had cared for the people, he would have continued to fight for them. Brutus shows that, ontrary to what he says, he has the most concern for his own image and not the well-being of the Roman people. Brutus is a selfish man, not a virtuous man. Brutus fails not because he obtains an excessive amount o f virtue, but because he hunted for virtue excessively. He hunts for glory and virtue so obsessively that he loses sense of what he believes in. Brutus is known to many as the man of great virtue. Although, the virtue of Brutus is forced, unnatural. In the end, this in itself is not virtuous. Virtue, or any characteristic, comes from the manner in which an action is performed and not the result. Odysseus is a similar man. He does many virtuous acts, although he acts knowingly that his effect, the result of his actions, will be virtuous. Odysseus took on both Scylla and Charybdis, evil sea monsters, so he himself could demonstrate his superior virtue. Many of his shipmates, and nearly himself, are killed. Odysseus survives become more â€Å"virtuous,† more â€Å"honorable,† for surviving both monsters. Although, if one looks towards how these men performed these actions, they see no virtue. After all, it is not what one does, but how one does it.

Case Study vs Interviews, Focus Groups, Textual Analysis, Ethnography, Biographical Research, Panel Surveys Free Essay Example, 1750 words

The usual rules and guidelines of an ordinary research and social sciences must be strictly adhered to (Yin 38). The events and activities that are stated in the resource must be recorded according to their chronological occurrence. The order in which the information was recorded should be systematic not to leave out any important detail. In-depth report and informal interviews require social and close interactive interaction between the investigator and the interviewee. It is different from other kinds of interaction that may found in other fields such as public lectures and job interviews. They are based on building a relationship so as to be effective and useful to those that are involved. They are like the types of interaction that one would witness between close friends. They are used in combination with other relevant data that had been collected that relates to the subject matter. This is in contrast with case study as more time is spent on a single interview whereas case study dwells on a sample. Focus groups and Case study. It is very significant and useful in social sciences. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study vs Interviews, Focus Groups, Textual Analysis, Ethnography, Biographical Research, Panel Surveys or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Examining the Effects that Plague the U.S. and Guam Communities - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2985 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/08/02 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Tags: AIDS (HIV) Essay Did you like this example? HIV and AIDS: Examining the Effects that Plague the U.S. and Guam Communities Today Introduction It is common knowledge that the human body is prone to several diseases, infections, and dysfunctions that can hinder the quality of life, so it important to treat our bodies with the utmost respect.   While not all diseases and infections can be avoided due to genetic predispositions and other factors, there remain numerous of diseases and infections that can actually be prevented in taking proper precautions during our daily routines.   One of these easily preventable infectious diseases is the human immunodeficiency virus, widely known as HIV.   Another easily preventable disease commonly associated with HIV is the acquired immune deficiency syndrome, abbreviated as AIDS.   AIDS is considerably one of the most dangerous infectious diseases that are still prevalent today.   Although these two diseases can easily be prevented, due to the lack of information about precautionary measures pertaining to sexual intercourse, sexual education in schools, and access to preventive care and treatment, HIV and AIDS continue to plague the human population on a global scale.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Examining the Effects that Plague the U.S. and Guam Communities" essay for you Create order Human Immunodeficiency Virus According to a national newsletter released by the National Institute of Health (NIH) (2015), which is a part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, HIV is a virus that harms your immune system by invading and then destroying your infection-fighting white blood cells.   This virus infiltrates these white blood cells altering its normal functions; what was once our greatest protection against outside bacteria is now our own worst enemy.   Seemingly harmless illnesses, such as the common cold, is now just as life threatening as the flu or pneumonia.   HIV transmission is passed through the exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood and semen, from one infected person to the next.   Ninety percent of the time HIV is transferred during sexual intercourse that includes vaginal, anal, and oral.   The second most common route is injection through used needles, and lastly the transmission of the illness from mother to fetus or through blood transfusions (NIH, 2 015). The nonchalance of disregarding protection during sex and the sharing of needles during drug use are two major reasons why HIV and AIDS remains a nuisance to our society.   MedLine Plus (2015) states that, the first signs of HIV infection may be swollen glands and flu-like symptoms, that may come and go within two to four weeks. This is important to note because HIV may not present itself as evident in its host making a lot of people disregard the severity of their situation.   After this two to four week incubation period symptoms of HIV go dormant leaving the host unsuspected that they are now a carrier of the disease.   It will not be until months after does the carrier know they are infected.   This causes a vicious cycle where the infected person unknowingly may spread the disease to someone else or multiple others, which then in turn causes those who are newly infected to then transmit, HIV to another person.   The Healthy People 2020 or HP2020 (2018) website provides evidence of this cycle in stating that an estimated 1.2 million American are living with HIV, and one out of eight people are unaware of their status.   This argument is then furthered by a statistic showing that ninety-one percent of new HIV infections in the United States are transmitted from people not diagnosed or diagnosed and not in care.   The need for better informative procedures about this disease is in dire need by educators and health professionals.   HIV is broken down into four stages according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2014): stages zero, one, two, and three.   Stage zero is the first initial positive test six months after screening.   From there the stage level of HIV is then reevaluated and determined based on the longevity and symptoms present in the individual.   If the patient receives a diagnosis of stage three HIV, the disease has progressed to AIDS. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AIDS was first discovered during the early 1980s and was first believed to only be associated with the homosexual male community.   This belief coined the term gay-related immune deficiency (GRID) for a couple months until further evidence suggested that not only gay men could contract the disease.   At this time the incidence of AIDS began to be reported worldwide, specifically in regions of Europe and Africa.   According to the Mayo Clinic (2015) website, the CD4 T cells, also known as your white blood cells, that were infected during the earlier stages of HIV now begin to die off, severely weakening the immune system leaving the body defenseless.   Once the individuals white blood cell count drops below two hundred they are deemed stage three of HIV or AIDS.   Again, this emphasizes the importance of education and early detection and screening about these types of diseases.   This process typically takes about ten years before HIV evolves into AIDS.   Signs and symptoms are more severe and include: recurring fever, chronic diarrhea, unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth, persistent and unexplained fatigue, weight loss, and skin rashes or bumps (Mayo Clinic, 2015) just to name a few.   Those who suffer from AIDS are now more susceptible to various forms of cancers and infections that would not trouble a normal person.   Some common infections that are associated with AIDS would be tuberculosis, Cryptococci meningitis, and candidiasis.   Cancers commonly affiliated with these diseases are Kaposis sarcoma and lymphoma.   These previously listed infections and cancers are among the leading causes of death in patients diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. There is a misconception that AIDS is a different virus than HIV so transmiss ion of this virus differs, but as mentioned recently AIDS is just a severer form of HIV.   Since AIDS is the last stage of HIV, transmission is virtually the same. Some are misinformed believing that these two diseases can be spread through ordinary contact like hugging, kissing, sharing drinks, or through the air.   This belief can sometimes instill fear of rejection in patients diagnosed with HIV and AIDS causing them not to disclose their own diagnosed status with current and future sexual partners.   People may even go as far as concealing their symptoms from their current physician and possible refuse to seek treatment due to embarrassment. Mission and Objectives HP2020 The HP2020 (2018) website states that its overall goal is to, prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and related illness and death. The website has also laid out three primary objectives that healthcare professionals and organizations should strive to reach.   These three primary objectives are: reducing new HIV infections, increasing HIV testing and prevent HIV risk, and increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for people living with HIV.   Under each of these primary objectives are subcategories that pertain to each objective.   There are a total of twenty-three sub goals that each provide data like tables and graphs that show the progress that has been made since the mid 2000s.   As stated before an estimated 1.2 million people are living with HIV.   Among these 1.2 million one out of eight people are unaware of their infected status.   HP2020 also reports that the annual infection rate has actually declined by 18% here in the United States from 2008 to 2014.   Despite this significant decrease in that six-year times span this disease continues to spread.   HP2020 Objective: HIV-1 One of the objectives HP2020 has set up to help with achieving their goal by the year 2020 is to reduce the number (number, all ages) of new HIV diagnoses.   The following graph accounts for the number of diagnoses from 2010 to 2015: Figure 4.   New HIV diagnoses (number, all ages) By Total Note. Graph taken from the HP2020 website displaying goal for newly HIV diagnosed patients in the U.S. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/hiv According to Figure 1, the data demonstrates that there has been a steady decrease in newly diagnosed HIV patients within the U.S. from 2010 to 2015.   At the beginning of 2010 there was a baseline of 43, 806 new incidences of HIV by 2015 the number had decreased marginally to 40,040 (HP2020, 2018).   Unfortunately the goal that Healthy People set out to reach by the year 2020 is 32,855 new incidences, which at this rate seems unlikely to be fulfilled. HP2020 Objective: HIV-9 A second objective that HP2020 has set to achieve surrounding the AIDS epidemic currently plaguing the U.S. is to, reduce the proportion of persons with a diagnosis of Stage 3 HIV (AIDS) within three months of diagnosis of HIV infection (HP2020, 2018).   Figure 2 below was also taken from the HP2020 website illustrating the percentage of people who have contracted AIDS after 3 months of HIV infection: Figure 5.   Persons with a diagnosis of AIDS within 3 months of diagnosis of HIV infection (percent, 13+ years) By Total Note. Graph taken from the HP2020 website displaying goal for newly AIDS diagnosed patients in the U.S. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/hiv Again a baseline is provided and a target goal for 2020 is shown.   Starting in 2008 it was estimated that 25.9% of people were reaching stage three of HIV within the first three months of their diagnosis.   Six years later this rate had steadily declined to only 23.1% in people thirteen years and older (HP 2020, 2018).   If this decline continues at this rate by 2020 the possibility of reaching this goal and even surpassing it seems very hopeful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When comparing these two subsets of data it is evident that treatment, like ART, has had more success in moving towards its goal than new incidences of HIV cases.   With that being said, efforts towards prevention still need to be revised and executed more effectively.   In order for health officials, organizations, and the community itself to improve prevention efforts it is important to understand the root cause of the problem, in this case we must ask ourselves, Why is HIV still being spread despite current health regulations and precautions?   If we are able to answer this question then our focus can shift primarily to prevention methods, which will then in turn eliminate the costs of treatment and relieve the burden of financial restrictions both on the patient and the health care industry. Health Determinants Root Causes As with any problem we must understand what is causing it in the first place.   Transmission of HIV is the problem in this case and we must determine why it is still prevalent after so many steps have been taken towards prevention.   Figure 6.   Root Cause Analysis of HIV and AIDS Transmission Note. Statistics obtained from the Healthy People 2020 website. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/hiv The root cause analysis depicted above in Figure 6 documents three main causes behind the reason why transmission of HIV is still a problem today despite statistical evidence showing a decrease over recent years.   Fear of Judgment and Failure of Adherence The first two causes state that fear of being judged by health practioneers and friends and family about ones sexual endeavours can make them refrain from seeking screening or treatment and those that do some of them suffer from substance abuse and other personal daily obligations that hinder adhereance to treatment.   Disclosing personal information like sexual acitivity can be very hard for most people especially those who are underage fearing their parents may find out.   Reputations are important to many and being open about matters like an HIV infected status or having mutlple sexual partners can be scary as it may write them off as dirty, untouchable, or someone who likes to sleep around.   However those whoe seek treatment tend to also add to the problem of transmission.   In a study titled, Factors Affecting Adherence to Antiretorviral Therapy, done by Margaret Chesney (2000) from the Univeristy of   California San Franciscos School of Medicine, she reports that non adherence to antiretorviral therapy range from 50% to 70%.   She also states that, principle factors associated with nonadhearance appear to be patient-related, the major factor included substance and alcohol abuse   (Chesney, 2000).   As with any prescription drug that needs to be taken daily, mixture of alcohol or other drugs is highly cautioned against.   Those who were undergoing ART during this study and were drug abusers tended to place their cravings before their personal health.   Putting themselves in a position to spread HIV to others.   Other patient-related nonadherences can be found in the following the table: Table 1.   Frequent causes for medication nonadherence by HIV-infected patients who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy. Note.   Adapted from Chesney, MA. (2000). Factors affecting adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 30(Suppl 2), S171-S173. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-abstract/30/Supplement_2/S171/373130 By analyzing the table above many patients reported that the obstacles in life, like work, school, and family orietnated activities proved to intefere to a point that consistently taking their medication was not manageable.   Other emotional and physical side effects also contributed to the reduction of adherance to self medication. Sexual Education in High Schools The second cause relates to the lack of sexual education or information about practicing safe sex to high school students.   As mentioned previously the data taken from the HP2020 website includes ages thirteen years and up, meaning that high school students are also at risk for contracting HIV and potentially developing AIDS.   It is common knowledge that during teenage years to early adulthood the willingness to adventure and explore ones sexuality is at its all time high.   The following table was taken from the CDCs 2017 Youth Behavioral Risk Factoe Survlliance Survey (YBRFSS): Figure 7.   Percentages taken from the HIV section of the YBRFSS from 1991-2017 of High School Students across the United States Note. Taken from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. (2017). Trends in the prevalence of sexual behaviors and hiv testing national yrbs: 19912017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/trends/2017_sexual_trend_yrbs.pdf According to the YBRFSS (2017) taken earlier this year, nationwide 39.5% of high school students had participated in sexual activity with someone of either sex or both during their lifetime, 9.7% had four or more sexual partners, and 28.7% of these students had had sex three months before this survey was taken.   Shockingly enough 53.8% reported that either they or their partner had used a condom during sex, which means a little less than half are engaing in unprotected sex (YBRFSS, 2017).   In another self reported survey only 9.3% of these high school student shad ever been tested for HIV.   This data is reported in the table that follows. Figure 8.   Percentages taken from the HIV section of the YBRFSS from 1991-2017 of High School Students across the United States Note. Taken from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. (2017). Trends in the prevalence of sexual behaviors and hiv testing national yrbs: 19912017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/trends/2017_sexual_trend_yrbs.pdf Assuming this data is accurate the adolescent youth in the U.S. are at major risk for developing HIV and other related sexually transmitted diseases. This stems from the lack of information about unsafe sex practices and lack of access to contraceptives and knowledge of how to use them.   Better practices must be implemented in the school setting in regards to informing students about various forms of STDs, as knowledge is power. Providing and arming our youth with this information is the first step both health professionals, schools, and communities can take in prevention of HIV. BRFSS HIV Data: Guam vs. United States   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When comparing self-reported screening data for HIV provided by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) about the U.S. and Guam, the results appear to be very similar. Table 2.   Percentage in the U.S. and D.C. tested for HIV (2013-2017) Note. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health: BRFSS Prevalence Trends Data Table 3.   Percentage in Guam tested for HIV (Crude Rate: 2013-2017) Note. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health: BRFSS Prevalence Trends Data As the tables above show, people in the United States and Guam were asked if they were ever tested for HIV from the years 2013 to 2017.   Table 3s data shows that although Guam was near the average percentage of the U.S., they fell below average for those who confirmed screening up until last year (BRFSS, 2017).   However, this data may be misleading, as the sample size for this year was only 857 people, which was not as large and consistent with the previous years (sample size being over 1000).   As this indicates a low response by individuals in the Guam community there might be a lack of awareness of the current situation in regards to STDs here on island.   With that being said, Guam is in no better state of prevention or screening methods and must also enact better policies and laws in the community to increase the percentage of people seeking to be screened. Action Plan Policies and Laws Identifying At-Risk Populations As with any disease it is important to identify those who are most at-risk for developing the disease itself and providing screening and treatment options during its earliest stages.   Everyone is at risk for developing these two viruses however the rates are shown to be more prevalent in those who participate more frequently in unprotected sex and with multiple partners.   These two subgroups are primarily young African American and Latino men, affiliated with the LGBTQ+ community and high school students (CDC, 2017).   Current rates also tend to be higher of course in denser populations in the United States as shown in Figure 6 below: Figure 6.   Rates of HIV Diagnoses Among Adults and Adolescents in the US by State, 2016 Note. Graph taken from the CDC.Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2016.HIV Surveillance Report2017;28. States like Georgia, Florida, Maryland (DC), Louisiana, and Nevada are known to have denser populations, thus the reason for rates of 20.0 and greater per 100,000 people of HIV diagnoses.