The prevalence of HIV among older adults is reaching staggering rates. About 1 in 4 adults in the United States who are living with HIV infection are aged 50 or older. 18% of new HIV diagnoses occur among those aged 50 and older.
Older people tend to be sicker when the infection is finally discovered. They usually have other health conditions that accompany aging and often are too embarrassed to reveal their illness to family and friends.
Many never dreamed they were at risk of contracting the virus, and some have outmoded ideas of a disease that long ago became manageable through advances in medication.
Yet health-care providers still don’t routinely consider HIV when treating older patients, despite guidelines that call on them to screen through age 64. They may be reluctant to ask about an older person’s sex life and sometimes attribute HIV symptoms to age-related issues such as heart disease.
With advanced treatment options, HIV positive individuals are living longer lives. However, the interactions between aging and degeneration caused by HIV have become a public health concern that needs to generate appropriate awareness and education.
Efforts to expand HIV prevention messages for older adults should also include information and resources about linking newly diagnosed individuals to care while also advocating to ensure these individuals have appropriate access to care and treatment.
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