Controversial health issues create heated debates people like discussing, disputing, or disagreeing on. There are many controversial health issues ranging from their causes to treatment. The medical fraternity consistently debates the best ways of treating various diseases, with new research emerging to transform how medical professionals think about a specific condition. Moreover, how the public views a particular medical condition shapes how medical experts treat it. However, it should be noted that controversial health issues result from ignorance, lack of awareness, and denial.
COVID-19, mental health, and HIV/AIDS are among the most discussed health issues. The novel coronavirus has recently become a subject of debate concerning health matters. The fact that the disease caught the world by surprise made it even more controversial. There have been issues related to the use of face masks and the number of cases of infected people. Facemasks became a trend worldwide, with some casting doubts on their effectiveness and usefulness in combating the disease. Scientists have been using two approaches to estimate the true prevalence of the disease. The first approach was to test a sample of individuals for antibodies in a population. The other method is to project the number of people affected by the virus using mathematical models. These two approaches offer different estimates, creating even more, debate and controversy.
Mental health is another health issue that is substantially controversial and is still a subject of debate for many people. The condition has caught the world’s imagination because of the high number of depressed people who have resorted to suicide. Mental health awareness has been a topic that has drawn the attention of advocates. It has created much contention with topical issues such as its severity, prevalence, symptoms, essence, scope, effect, and characteristics (Reardon, 2018). It is a condition that has never been wholly understood, with many people offering differing opinions. All these divergent opinions have given rise to more controversies regarding the condition and have triggered consistent and relentless discussions.
Autism is another controversial health issue due to the various definitions and descriptions linked to it, especially by medical experts. Some medical specialists associate this condition with mental health or disorders. The topic of autism is a huge controversy due to denial or a lack of awareness. Many medical professionals term the disease a developmental disorder instead of a mental one. Their arguments are vital because they differentiate autism from mental illness in many ways. According to them, one of the most significant differences is that while mental illness is treatable, other developmental disorders like autism lead to lifelong disabilities.
In conclusion, these controversial health issues are caused by a lack of knowledge concerning their characteristics. Ignorance of these diseases leads to speculation and guesswork, resulting in more confusion. Most people offering views about these diseases do not use scientific evidence to explain what causes such ailments. They depend on hearsay which leads to more controversies. For example, the emergence of the coronavirus came as a surprise, with various quarters giving divergent opinions of what the disease was, its cause, and how to prevent it. These conflicting views created more confusion about the condition; some refused to use face masks as a preventative measure. Moreover, these controversial health issues result from the belief that incurable diseases are mysterious, which triggers more debate. It is challenging to find controversies on ailments that are curable or which can be well-managed.
Reference
Reardon, D. C. (2018). The abortion and mental health controversy: A comprehensive literature review of common ground agreements, disagreements, actionable recommendations, and research opportunities. SAGE Open Medicine, 6.