CONTACTAbout UsCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
This year I attended the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. More than 10,000 physicians, researchers and other health care professionals from around the globe gather each year at ICAAC to exchange the latest information and present research on topics related to HIV and other infectious diseases.
There was some interesting data presented on HIV and aging. Currently 15%-20% of HIV-positive individuals in the United States are over the age of 50. It's estimated that by 2015 this number will reach 50%.
What does this sharp rise in older HIV-positive individuals mean?
As the HIV population ages, we will begin to see more issues with brain disorders -- specifically Alzheimer's disease and dementia -- bone diseases like osteoporosis, and diabetes, kidney disease, and non-AIDS-related cancers.
A greater demand will be placed on services for older people with HIV, and this will likely burden the health care system, which is currently not equipped to handle these patients. Also, toxicities associated with long-term antiretroviral therapy will impose greater risks for comorbid conditions and premature death. Some HIV treatment advocates consider aging and HIV the number 1 issue and believe this topic deserves greater attention. Other health care providers, like myself, argued that the good news is that people with HIV are living longer.
There was a considerable amount of discussion regarding the expansion of HIV testing. In 2006 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended routine optional HIV testing for all adults who sought medical care, including those who visited emergency rooms. The majority of people who opted out of testing stated they did not believe they had any risk factors for acquiring HIV.
Researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., tested discarded blood samples of emergency room patients who opted out of testing to calculate their HIV rate. Washington has the highest HIV prevalence in the United States -- at least 3% among people over 12 years old -- and the HIV-positive population is predominantly African-American.
Their results concluded that those individuals who declined HIV testing had an HIV rate more than two times higher than those who agreed to the testing.
The researchers believe that "it is critical for public health issues to determine whether the opt-out population is truly HIV-negative or whether their personal risk is being underestimated."
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
31 Period Films of Lesbians and Bi Women in Love That Will Take You Back
December 09 2024 1:00 PM
18 of the most batsh*t things N.C. Republican governor candidate Mark Robinson has said
October 30 2024 11:06 AM
True
After 20 years, and after tonight, Obama will no longer be the Democrats' top star
August 20 2024 12:28 PM
Trump ally Laura Loomer goes after Lindsey Graham: ‘We all know you’re gay’
September 13 2024 2:28 PM
These 15 major companies caved to the far right and stopped DEI programs
January 24 2025 1:11 PM
True
Latest Stories
Worcester: sanctuary city for the transgender community
February 13 2025 6:27 PM
Blame Mitch McConnell if you’re scared and angry
February 13 2025 5:06 PM
Federal judge orders restoration of health agency web pages
February 13 2025 5:02 PM
Kennedy Center scrubs LGBTQ+ Pride concert after Donald Trump takeover
February 13 2025 4:49 PM
BREAKING: Federal judge blocks Trump’s gender-affirming care ban for minors
February 13 2025 4:34 PM
These Blue states are making it easier for transgender people to update their documents
February 13 2025 12:09 PM
These are not ordinary times: How the Human Rights Campaign plans to move forward
February 13 2025 12:01 PM
Democratic lawmakers lead congressional push to reverse Trump’s transgender military ban
February 13 2025 12:00 PM
True