By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
kmcneir@afro.com
As the number of HIV-infected senior Americans continues to surge, health experts across the nation are shedding greater light on the unique health and social needs, as well as the challenges of HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care among that population.
During an event on the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day earlier this month, the AIDS Institute emphasized the need for prevention, research and data, with a focus on the aging community and the impact of HIV on the natural aging process.
According to an HIV Surveillance Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the nearly 1.1 million people living with diagnosed HIV in the U.S. and dependent areas in 2021, about 41 percent (441,614) were aged 55 and older – some of whom were diagnosed later in life, while others have lived with HIV for many years.
And while therapeutic advancements in HIV/AIDS treatment have significantly improved the lives of individuals over 50 with HIV, ensuring continued protection and support remain essential as seniors face the challenges of aging. Health care providers emphasize that like older people without HIV, many of the aging with HIV have health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal disease, and cancer that can complicate HIV treatment. In addition, despite HIV risk factors being equivalent for people at any age, older people are less likely to get tested for HIV.
In May 2024, the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), founded in 1987 to develop leadership within communities of color to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, sponsored a congressional roundtable: “50+ Living with HIV,” in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), in a statement to members of Congress, called for greater attention to the needs of seniors living with HIV.
“As adults age and live with HIV, they face greater risk of damage to the immune system and long-term complications,” she stated. “The Older Americans Act (OAA) is a cornerstone of our nation’s commitment to seniors. Older adults living with HIV would greatly benefit from services under OAA to decrease isolation, improve health outcomes, and increase access to culturally competent services and supports. They are our neighbors, friends, and family members, and they should live and age with dignity.”
Harold Phillips, deputy director of programs at NMAC, echoed Bonamici’s comments while speaking earlier this year on June 5, during HIV Long Term Survivor Awareness Day.
“HIV may not be making headlines the way it once did, but it remains a pressing crisis – especially for communities of color and LGBTQ individuals, who continue to face systemic barriers to health care,” he said. “The lack of mainstream coverage can make it seem like the epidemic is behind us, but the reality is far different. And now, with unprecedented funding cuts and the erosion of bipartisan support for the programs that have held our HIV infrastructure together, we find ourselves at a critical crossroads.”
Donald Greer, a social worker who has worked with HIV/AIDS patients in Chicago, Ill., for more than 25 years, said it’s not just lack of awareness that endangers older Americans – it’s also complacency.
“Medical advancements have allowed older adults to live longer, healthier lives and remain sexually active but I’m finding that a lot of seniors simply do not think about HIV, unless they are gay or bisexual and were around and aware of the disease when it first hit the scene during the ‘80s,” he said.
“Often, those whose spouse has died or those who are now divorced, are dating again and are, unfortunately, unaware of the risks associated with contracting HIV, or other sexually transmitted infections. Further, they tend to be more concerned about illnesses that are more common among the elderly and believe that they don’t need to be tested for HIV. But being tested regularly and protecting oneself are essential to ensuring longer, healthier lives.”
Aging adults should know their HIV status
There’s still no cure for HIV. But if you acquire the virus, there are drugs that help suppress the level of HIV in the body and prevent its spread to other people. In the U.S., HIV has become more like a chronic disease and those living with HIV who receive treatment can live a long and healthy life.
But for Jerry White, 62, a native New Yorker who was diagnosed with HIV in 1997, the real problem aging Americans face is their reluctance to talk about sex with their potential sexual partner.
“I have several health challenges that have become more acute as I have grown older, but I take good care of myself and see my doctors regularly, especially because I’ve been HIV positive for nearly 30 years which has impacted and delayed the rate at which I heal,” he said. “I’m still sexually active so practicing safe sex is always the rule, not only so I don’t pass the virus to my partner, but to protect myself from being infected by another strain of the virus.
“I think complacency exists at all ages but what concerns me most is when I hear people say things like if they get ‘it’ they can just get on the meds. I’m not sure if that’s a result of folks not thinking or just not caring,” White said. “Younger adults may be willing to play Russian roulette with their health, but older adults should not. Call it common sense, but older folks like me should know better since we’ve lived through the early days of the virus when it was a death sentence. We know the devastating effects it had on so many of our family members and friends.”
Excellent Story Mr McNeir