Older HIVers have
high levels of depression

HIV-positive Americans over age 50 have very high rates of depression, according to a study that will be presented in August at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, USA Today reports. Researchers in New York City surveyed 1,000 HIV-positive adults over age 40 and found that they are 13 times more likely to experience depression than the general population. Many of the survey participants also reported debilitating symptoms related to aging, including arthritis, high blood pressure, and vision loss.

About two thirds of the survey respondents were heterosexual, 70% lived alone, and 82% were unemployed. Only 35% of the HIVers had revealed their infections to their friends, and fewer than half had told their families, mostly due to a fear of alienation or rejection if they disclose their serostatus. The scientists say the isolation, stigma, and age-related complications experienced by the HIVers could be connected to the higher rates of depression among the survey participants. (The Advocate)