HIV/AIDS: The Forgotten Victims
Reported September 23, 2008
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — HIV/AIDS is often associated with gay men and minorities, but one group affected by the disease is often overlooked.
Adults over age 50 account for more than 10 percent of all AIDS cases in the United States. In Florida, a state where many seniors live, that proportion jumps to 24 percent. In Miami-Dade County alone, they account for roughly 30 percent of AIDS cases. High figures like these have prompted some health officials to take action. The Broward County Health Department, for example, has implemented the Senior HIV Interventional Program (SHIP), which is designed to spread HIV awareness to older adults and encourage them to get tested.
According to the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), compared to at-risk individuals in their 20s, at-risk individuals over age 50 are one-sixth as likely to use condoms. Health specialists are especially concerned about women over 60, who are one of the fastest growing groups at risk of HIV. With concerns about pregnancy out of the picture for post-menopausal women, some experts suspect these women might also lack concern for using condoms.
Another preventive measures older adults are failing to take is getting tested. They are 20 percent less likely to be tested for HIV. When an HIV diagnosis is revealed, it is usually because they are being treated for a comorbid illness. At that point, the infection has often progressed to the late stages.
I think this issue is overlooked primarily because a lot of stereotypes about older Americans, Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs told Ivanhoe. For instance, older Americans dont have sex or they dont have multiples sexual partners and theyre not at risk for HIV.
Experts say one solution to the growing problem may be increasing awareness in both at-risk individuals and health care providers. Historically, because HIV/AIDS was first seen among gay and bisexual men in the United States, there are so many Americans who still tend to think this is an infection limited to them, Dr. Valdiserri explained. I think we need to continue to invest resources into diagnosing, treating, and preventing HIV among all Americans, including older Americans.
One thing is clear among experts — more information on this growing HIV group is needed. I think there are a lot of gaps in our knowledge about sexual behavior among older adults, Dr. Valdiserri said. Its important we get researchers interested in this issue so they can help us understand issues related to sexuality and older Americans.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H.; 2008 United States Conference on AIDS, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Sept. 17-21, 2008