National HIV/AIDS and
Aging Awareness Day is observed on September 18 each year. It is a day to call attention to the growing
number of people living long and full lives with HIV and to aging-related
challenges of HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care.
In addition, there is an increased need for prevention, research, and data targeting the aging population, medical understanding of the aging process and its impact on HIV/AIDS.
The campaign targets:
- People living with HIV (PLWH) who are aging with the disease or already over 50 at the time of their initial diagnosis,
- Increasing the use of protection from HIV infection, especially among the baby boomer population, and
- The increasing number of grandparents becoming the primary guardians for children who have lost their parent(s) to HIV/AIDS.
People with
HIV are living longer thanks to treatment with HIV medicines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2015, an
estimated 47% of people in the United States with diagnosed HIV were aged 50
and older. People aging with HIV can face treatment-related challenges, such as
drug
interactions between HIV medicines and medicines used for other
conditions.
There are
also HIV prevention challenges related to aging. For example, although HIV risk
factors are similar for all adults, older adults may be less aware of these
factors and the importance of testing to detect HIV in its earliest stages. CDC reports that 35% of people aged 55 and older who received an
HIV diagnosis in 2016 already had AIDS.
