The number of seniors with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to grow rapidly both through new infections among older adults and the natural aging of adults infected at younger ages. The World Health Organization estimates that the total number of people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide is rapidly approaching 50 million. In some countries, seniors aged 50 and above comprise between 5% and 11% of the HIV‐positive population. However, many more seniors are affected by this pandemic while providing care to infected family members and at the same time losing potential sources for their own support.
In the United States, an estimated 1.1 million people were living with HIV or AIDS at the end of 2003. In 2004 alone 10% of all reported AIDS cases and 15% of all HIV or AIDS cases diagnosed and reported were 50 years and above, with a quarter of these above 60 years. The incidence rates are higher among older women than older men, with...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Suggested Readings
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005) HIV/AIDS surveillance report. 16:1–46
Suggested Resources
The AIDS InfoNet, New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center, University of New Mexico School of Medicine: Older People and HIV (2005) Albuquerque, NM, April 30, 2005. http://www.aidsinfonet.org/articles.php?articleID = 616
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005) Frequently asked questions on HIV and AIDS. Atlanta, GA, October 15, 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faqs.htm
Krales E (2004) Is it AIDS or is it aging? Considerations for aging with HIV. Body Positive (online), December 2004. http://www.thebody.com/bp/dec04/aging.html
National Institute on Aging Age Page: HIV, AIDS and Older People (2004) Gaithersburg, MD (June 2004). http://www.niapublications.org/engagepages/aids.asp
Shippy A (2004) HIV and aging. ACRIA (AIDS Community Research Initiative of America) Update (online), 13(3). http://www.acria.org/treatment/treatment_edu_summerupdate2004_aging.html
Whitfield L (2004) AIDS goes gray. City Limits Monthly (online), (February 2004). http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/articleView.cfm?articlenumber = 1088
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
O'Shea, D.J. (2008). Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In: Loue, S.J., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-33753-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-33754-8
eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine