HIV-affected community

All members of a community are exposed or vulnerable to HIV infections, as in which HIV-affected community includes people that are affected by HIV or even influenced by it.^[11] Communities that are affected by HIV are usually doing risky behaviours, these behaviours include; sexual activities without the use of protection, and sharing of syringes and needles can contribute to HIV infection.^[3] These risk factors and behaviours includes; communities high in other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, herpes, etc. and communities that are active users of sharing needles that includes drug solutions(WHO. HIV)^[12] Other factors that associate with communities such as limited healthcare access, poverty and power imbalances.^[13] all contribute towards communities that are affected by HIV.

These communities include large metropolitan communities that include certain ethnic/racial, gender, and behavioural of subpopulations that may be affected by high rates of HIV counts.^[5] Other communities in the rural areas could be more exposed to HIV infections as there is lack of communication between the outside world, such as less health care services, lack of food supplies and also education, that could be factors of increasing HIV infections.^[14] Communities in rural areas also suffer from obtaining an adequate and affordable house and it could be difficult for HIV infected people to rent a house if the landlord discovers they are infected with HIV.^[14] It is better to consider communities that include people who are more active in risky behaviours and are from particular racial groups that will be more likely to be affected by HIV. It will help to increase the chances of decreasing the prevalence of HIV overall and also helps to decrease the prevalence of HIV within that community. Communities are also socially impacted, family members that are affected by HIV reduces the capacity of that family to generate income and support for their family members.^[15] It also has a reduction in individual's self care even though if they do not have HIV, but through taking their time to provide care and support to other people that are affected by HIV.^[15] The suffering of HIV within communities does not affect some people within the community but the majority of the community. These affected HIV communities also work with their government in developing new approaches towards prevention of HIV, it helps to understand the effectiveness of community approaches and potentially assisting in the global crisis of HIV.^[16]

Many communities are affected by HIV infection, whether they're infected or Influenced by HIV. In regards to the United States statistics of HIV infection among gay and bisexual men, there were 38,729 new cases recorded in 2017 but 70% of those cases were among adults and adolescents that are bisexual and gay men.^[17] There are a range of different communities that may be more vulnerable towards HIV infections, these communities include; young women in Africa and Indigenous communities in different countries.^[12] These communities come from different countries, which may vary the amount of infection in proportion to the population of the country but other factors may include such as disadvantages that may impact the community.^{[citation needed]}

As it is more common for gay and bisexual men to interact in sexual activities like anal sex, without the use of protection, it can not only lead to HIV infection but also the transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases.^[6] This is a term called "barebacking" also known as intentional unsafe sex, as barebacking can be an unintentional health threat to the gay community.^[6] The high percentage of HIV infection within the gay/bisexual community is impacted by different factors.^[7] In most bisexual and gay communities anal sex is one of the most common factors that contribute to increasing of HIV infections, with men not using condoms or taking medicines that will help treat HIV.^[7] There are many other methods that increases HIV infection but anal sex is one of the main infection factors for HIV.^{[citation needed]}

By understanding how gender affects HIV infection it is important and essential in reducing the risk of HIV, there are particular groups such as men, pregnant women, children, transgender people, and women who may have been affected by HIV infections.^[17] In 2016, 23% of HIV infection in the United States were women, similarly to men, black/African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV and the most common way of transmission is through sex with a male partner.^[18] It is perceived that women need to be able to make a change in their sexual lives and insist that their partners use protection when doing sexual activities as women are bearing the burn of the HIV infection situations.^[19]

Another community that is affected by HIV are people who are diagnosed with mental illnesses and also people who are under the influence of drugs.^[8] It is believed that most HIV patients have experienced or are experiencing some sort of mental illness in their lives.^[8] The most common mental health disorders are depression and depressive symptoms, as the chance of developing a mental illness is high for HIV infected communities^[8] is two times higher in HIV-infected patients than in HIV-negative patients.^[20] It is due to the lack of prevention and diagnosis tools to support communities with mental illness, increases the rate of HIV infection within the communities.^[8]

Communities affected by HIV can include young people, young people age 10 to 24 years are increasingly being more affected by HIV in 2016 than any other age group community.^[21] There has been an increasing number of young people from 2000 to 2015 with its tripling between those periods.  In 2020 the majority of people in a community are from the low and middle-income countries, which means Sub-Saharan Africa communities have a higher chance of HIV infection.^[21]