Transmission of HIV Infection Among Older Adults: A Population at Risk

For more than a decade, AIDS investigators have focused on understanding the epidemiology of HIV transmission among adult and adolescents populations. Although the incidence and prevalence of HIV infection among these populations give rise to concern, very little research has addressed prevention strategies to reduce HIV infection in adults aged 50 years and older, among whom the number of AIDS cases is steadily rising. Data taken from a national survey reveal that middle-aged and elderly individuals admit to high-risk behavior. The greatest increase in HIV infection in this older age group is occurring among minority populations. The prevalence of HIV infection among older adults is startling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1998) reported in their Quarterly Surveillance Summary that cumulative cases of AIDS show a disproportionate incidence and prevalence among African American men 50 and older. According to Ory and Mack (1998), men represent the highest majority of AIDS cases aged 50 years and older (84%), and minority populations (i.e., African Americans and other groups) are overrepresented, with Hispanic men accounting for over 60% of the cases. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1998 reported that new cases of AIDS are disproportionately higher among adults 50 and older than among younger populations. Ory and Mack also reported that there has been a dramatic increase in heterosexual transmission in individuals 50 and older and that injection drug use is also on the rise.