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Kimberly Martinez

Dr. Sharity Nelson

English 1301-115

Oct. 12, 2023

Rhetorical Analysis: A Peer Reviewed Article in HIV Services in Cambodia

HIV/AIDS remains a health crisis in the third world country Cambodia due to

economical crisis, authors Kouland Thin et al., write “The Cost of HIV Services at Health

Facilities in Cambodia.”(1) (a peer reviewed article in HIV services title) Published in 2019, and

they inform readers about the decline of funds coming from donors decreasing and she tries to

find a solution to fix. Thin et al. are mostly successful in supporting their claim they effectively

use the tables to illustrate methods to lower HIV cost in Cambodia, and Smooth fully engages

emotional appeals; nevertheless, near the ending, the author's credibility strengthens on the main

purpose, and her argument.

The use of tables in this article are for informative purposes, and in a way to visually

illustrate to readers. Thin et al. uses tables to keep their information to organize their data. The

way the tables were organized in this article make it simple not only for the readers to understand

but they make it visually appealing by using proper grid lines and formatting such as bolding of

the titles. For instance, Table 1.(6) “Number of Facilities in Sample Offering Selected

Services.”(6) In the very first row it provides the titles and information being compared. First

row consist of “Type of Facility”, “Number of Facilities” for “VCCT (Voluntary Confidential

Counseling)”, and their “#Visits Mean, Range”, “#Facilities” of “ART (Antiretroviral Therapy)

(FL and SL)” and their “#PYs (Person Years) Mean, Range” “#Facilities” of “PART (Pediartic
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Antiretroviral Therapy)” and their “#PYs, Mean, Range”, “Inpatients Care for OIs (Opportunistic

Infections)” and the “#Facilities” and lastly “Average Number of FTE (Full Time Equivalent)

Staff Working on HIV/AIDS Services (range)” All these titles are bolded and made to stand out

to be made simpler to the reader. Some of the facilities included “provincial Hospital”, “Referral

Hospital”, "Health Center”, and lastly “Clinic”. These facilities are located on the very first

column on the right. In VCCT the most visited facility is the clinic. In addition, it is the only

clinic in VCCT. In total the table shows that there are “21 health facilities, 2 provincial hospitals,

6 referral hospitals, 12 health centers, and 1 NGO clinic.”(6) 4 referral hospitals offered

treatment for infants exposed to HIV. Overall this table talks about total cost plus what facilities

it mentions and the cost for delivering the service. Currently Provincial Hospitals have the

highest staff working on HIV/AIDS with a range of 27 (18.6-36.0) and the lowest being health

center with a range of 0.5 (0.1-1.0)

Thin et al. article includes use of pathos. They persuade readers to help fund facilities in

Cambodia by encouraging readers and letting them know that there is a crisis all over Cambodia.

The article states that referral hospitals “typically have around 50 hospital beds.”(3) It informs

readers how Cambodia is not really well off economically and the people in Cambodia have to

pay pocket money and that these services highly “are dependent on donor funding”(13) The

readers feel compelled to help donate by Thin et al. using word choices such as “Despite the

achievements, huge challenges remain to end AIDS”(2) These words make the reader feel

emotionally appealed. Although this article mostly uses pathos in the form of descriptive

language and imagery by painting a picture about how Cambodia is a third world country and

HIV facilities survive based on donor fundings and how donor fundings have decreased
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excessively and stating how people in Cambodia are in need of money to help people treat HIV/

AIDS and other diseases because it’s a recurring problem in Cambodia.

Author's credibility stays strong and on point with the purpose of the paper in the

beginning, middle, and end. What helps her credibility stay strong is the use of tables, tone

neutral, but informative throughout the article and not straying off topic. Thin et al. inform the

readers with methods to use to help Cambodia HIV fund so the patients won't have to make

“out-of-pocket payments.”(15) In addition, towards the ending her credibility starts to strengthen

more by stating that “Donor support is variable by province and region”(14-15) Thin et al. state

that their research was not made including all of Cambodia but only parts of it so they only

calculated the amount of donor funds in some parts of Cambodia. Basically, stating that their

research is only accurate to some extent. ”Results of this study should be seen as indicative of the

costs of services rather than a precise estimate.” (15) “This study did not incurred by patients to

access care of the costs.” It makes the reader feel more inclined to trust this article due to Thin et

al. being really open and honest on what they researched on and stating that what they've

researched is correct. In addition, they are inviting other researchers to join in and continue the

research from where they left off. Overall the way Thin et al. are being really opened and sincere

in there research paper making the readers feel trusted in what they are reading.

Thin et al. begin the article effectively informing the readers and using emotional appeals,

and strengthens her credibility towards the ending, Thin et al. emphasize and invite other

researchers to use the information Thin et al. have collected to further research under

“Limitations” (14) appearing to the reader really open and honest as they are stating that they’ve

only researched up to an extent and there is much to discover. Overall The use of logos also

known as the tables make the reader visually see the information that is being given to them in a
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much more organized and understanding format by using bolding fonts and formatting their

tables really neat. In addition the use of pathos being slid smoothly into the article and not being

too pushy as to making the readers feel like they have to donate but more as in making the

readers feel compelled into them actually wanting to donate and help. At last the authors

credibility being written very well and understanding making the reader feel very compelled to

continue reading the whole article.

Work Cited
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Thin, Kouland et al. “The Cost of HIV Services at Health Facilities in Cambodia.” PLoS ONE,

vol. 14, no. 5, May 29, 2019, pp. 1-17.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216774