The collective trauma of HIV/AIDS and contemporary constructions of health: older gay men’s perspectives

• Explicitly positioning HIV/AIDS as a collective trauma enables deeper understandings of how experiences incurred during the pre-HAART period continue to have profound influence on how older, gay men conceptualize health • Gaining deeper understandings of the implications of the HIV/AIDS collective trauma on men's perspectives on health is essential to promote the health and well-being of this group of men • Health is envisioned as an active process, inherently governed by growth and development vs. the stagnation of simply surviving • Health is prefaced by the need to heal-health is not possible without first healing from the widespread devastation wrought by the HIV/AIDS crisis • Active living and healing are incumbent upon actively engaging in practices to nurture mind, body and spirit • Peer-led resources and services are ideal to integrate men's wisdom and experiences incurred by virtue of living through the HIV/AIDS crisis to develop meaningful opportunities to support the health and well-being of older, gay men