June 27^th was National HIV testing day and even though we’re past that date, it’s never too late to get tested.  So, why would a site about seniors aging in place, be talking about HIV testing?

Did you know that:

According to a 2008 report released by the CDC, the number of people aged 50 years and older living with HIV/AIDS has been increasing.  In 2005 people 50 and older accounted for

• 15% of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases
• 24% of people living with HIV/AIDS
• 35% of all deaths of people with AIDS
• The incidence of HIV/AIDS among people 50 and older is 12 times greater among blacks and 5 times greater among his Hispanics

The following is information obtained from National Association of people with AIDs website.

The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) started National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) in 1995.  Each year, on June 27, the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA), in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Prevention Information Network (NPIN), and other national and local entities across the country organizes National HIV Testing Day. This unique initiative sends the message to those at risk from those already living with HIV that there are powerful reasons for learning one’s HIV status.

NAPWA was one of the first AIDS organizations to advocate that people at risk of infection should seek out voluntary HIV counseling and testing. As people living with HIV/AIDS, we knew that knowledge of HIV status was essential to making informed decisions about our lives. We took this one-step further in 1995 by launching the National HIV Testing Day campaign.

National HIV Testing Day was developed in response to the growing number of HIV infections in communities of color and other heavily impacted communities. Today, CDC estimates approximately 250,000 Americans are living with HIV but unaware of their HIV status.  NAPWA believes voluntary HIV counseling and testing is a critical first step in taking control and responsibility over one’s health. NHTD promotes our message “Take the Test, Take Control” to a demographically diverse audience and numerous communities nationwide.

Sources:  aidsinfonet.org, the CDC,
National Association of people with AIDs

Last week, we talked about the global statistics of HIV/AIDS and learned that 15% of all newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases are in those 50 and older.  We also learned that the virus that causes HIV can cause dementia and the virus and/or drugs used to treat it can cause osteoporosis and osteonecrosis as well as peripheral neuropathy.  These conditions can all impact someone’s ability to age within their home.   This week however, we’ll be talking more about why the numbers for those 50 and older are being diagnosed with HIV.   I think there’s a belief/feeling out there that older people can’t get HIV/AIDS, but clearly, the numbers show differently.  So, why are people aged 50 and older accounting for 15% of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases?

1.  Not practicing safe sex

•  With the use of medications for erectile dysfunction, more older men may be engaging in unsafe sexual activity

•  Older women don’t risk getting pregnant and so are not asking their partners to use condoms

•  Also, with age, women experience vaginal thinning and dryness, which can cause vaginal tears

2.  Injecting drugs or smoking crack

•  HIV through injection drug use accounts for more than 16% of AIDS cases in adults 50 and older

3.  Lack of knowledge about the disease:

•  A lot of older adults may falsely believe this is a disease of youth and not a disease that can impact them

•  Don’t use condoms

•  Don’t get tested

4.  Healthcare workers may underestimate the risk for their patient’s disease and not discuss HIV/AIDS with their older clients

5.  Symptoms may be misdiagnosed

•  Physicians may miss a diagnosis of AIDS including symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, and mental confusion because they think it is part of the normal aging process,

So, what to do next?

If you think you may be at risk for HIV/AIDS, get tested.  While the stigma for HIV/AIDS may be greater for older adults, knowing your status is crucial.  The CDC recommends routine testing for people up to age 64.  They also suggest HIV testing for those 64 and older if they have risk factors for HIV/Infection.  Additionally, the CDC recommends prevention strategies such as education for older adults.

A goal of The Aging Suite is to help educate people about health issues and topics that impact the aging population.  One such topic is HIV/AIDS.  Thanks to improved medications, today people with HIV/AIDS have longer life expectancies.  However, as they age, the virus can impact various systems in the body, affecting their functioning at home and thus their ability to remain living in their home, aka aging in place.

HIV’s impact on the body of an older person:

•  There’s a higher incidence of osteoporosis and osteonecrosis in people with HIV which may be caused by the virus or the   medications used to treat it

•  The Virus can cause peripheral neuropathy which can be due to drugs used to treat the virus or the virus infecting nerve cells

•  Dementia due to HIV

December 1st was World AIDS day.  It’s estimated that more than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.  HIV/AIDS clearly has a huge global impact.  The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), published worldwide statistics on HIV and AIDS in November of 2009.

HIV/AIDS in the older population

According to a 2008 report released by the CDC, the number of people aged 50 years and older living with HIV/AIDS has been increasing.  In

2005 people 50 and older accounted for

• 15% of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases
• 24% of people living with HIV/AIDS
• 35% of all deaths of people with AIDS
• The incidence of HIV/AIDS among people 50 and older is 12 greater among blacks and 5 times greater among his Hispanics

Join us next week as we talk more about HIV/AIDS in the older population.

Source:

aidsinfonet.org and the CDC