Today Is National HIV / AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

Today Is National HIV / AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

With the AIDS Institute at the helm, National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) is observed each year on September 18th. It is a time to focus on the major advancements in HIV treatment that are increasing the number of our community living long, full lives with a diagnosis. It also spotlights the unique health and social needs and challenges of medical treatment among our queer family who are aging.

 

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This year's theme has been coined “Protect Our Aging Populations: Meeting New Challenges to Live Longer and Improve Lives!” It is a call to highlight the need for prevention, research, and collection of data that is geared toward the aging population and becoming familiar with the impact that HIV has on the natural aging process. The Institute reports that half of the people diagnosed with HIV in the nation are over the age of 50. Once a death sentence, many have lived with HIV for several years. Some have not been diagnosed until later in life.

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Moisés Agosto-Rosario, the Treatment Director at NMAC (National Minority AIDS Council), released a statement regarding the HIV 50+ program, founded in 2016. Since the establishment of the program, discussions about older adults with the virus are now part of community meetings, conferences, advocacy, and at programming talks at local, national, and global levels. Prior, talk about the aging diagnosed community had little to no representation even at meetings like the US Conference on AIDS or the International AIDS Conference. Agosto-Rosario shared that the HIV 50+ elderly represent 54% of all people living with HIV in the United States and that in 2030, this will grow to 70%. The program urges more data collection, workshops, advance in medical education and care towards that sector of the community. In addition to just the physical medical aspects, there are issues like mental health, isolation, PTSD, and substance abuse that can also accompany the plight of those aging with the diagnosis.

 

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NMAC launched its HIV 50+ Community Education Project, a virtual learning platform to learn how to prevent and manage co-occurring health conditions while aging and treating HIV. Their project covers six modules: Cardiovascular, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND), Policy and Advocacy, Healthy Living, and Mental Health.

Maybe take a moment today to think about those around you in the community who are older and living with the diagnosis.

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