Wednesday, September 18, marks National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day 2024 (#HIVandAging and #NHAAD). Thanks to advances in HIV treatment, people diagnosed with HIV who take their meds regularly are enjoying longer and healthier lives. In fact, more than half of people diagnosed with HIV in the United States are 50 or older. Some were diagnosed at a young age—or even born with HIV—and others contracted it later in life.

A growing aging population of persons with HIV are encountering unique health challenges The AIDS Institute founded...

Posted by The AIDS Institute on Wednesday, September 18, 2024

To shine a spotlight on this growing population and its unique needs, The AIDS Institute launched National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day in 2008. The 2024 theme is “Protect our aging populations: meeting new challenges to live longer and improve lives of people living and aging with HIV.”

Today is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day. Globally, an estimated 3.6 million people aged 50 and older are...

Posted by Smith Medical Clinic, Inc. on Wednesday, September 18, 2024

AIDSVu.org, an interactive site that maps and visualizes HIV data on communities across the nation, offers more insight on the aging population:

“In 2021, there were 441,259 people aged 55 and older living with HIV, representing 41% of the U.S. population living with HIV. In 2021:

  • 84% were linked to care;

  • 74% received care;

  • 68% were virally suppressed — the highest viral suppression rate out of all age groups. However, this still falls short of the Ending the Epidemic (EHE) Initiative’s goal of increasing viral suppression among people with diagnosed HIV to 95% by 2025;

  • 34% were diagnosed late, the highest percentage of late diagnoses among all age groups.

  • From 2021 to 2022, there was a 22% increase in the number of PrEP users in this age group [meaning people who use pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP, to prevent HIV].”

As AIDSVu points out, people aging with HIV often face comorbidities—other age-related chronic conditions—such as cardiovascular disease, lung disease and obesity. What’s more, the HIV-related health outcomes for this population can be affected by racial disparities and social determinants of health, including poverty, education, food insecurity, insurance status and unemployment. For example, Black Americans 55 and older had the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses (15 new cases per 100,000 people) compared to other races/ethnicities in the same age group.

To find sharable campaigns, information about webinars and other related events, search the hashtags #NHAAD and #HIVandAging. Several samples are embedded throughout this post.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its Let’s Stop HIV Together initiative offer sample posts and other materials:

English

Today is #NHAAD, a day to address HIV’s impact on adults 50 & older. With advances in treatment, people with HIV are living longer, healthier lives. Help #StopHIVTogether: Reduce stigma and promote prevention, testing, & treatment among older adults. https://bit.ly/3oPdOiV

 

Spanish

Hoy es #NHAAD, un día para abordar el impacto del VIH en adultos de 50+ años. Personas con #VIH pueden tener una vida larga y sana. #DetengamosJuntosElVIH: ayúdanos a reducir el estigma y promover la prevención, pruebas y tratamiento en personas mayores. https://bit.ly/3cHOJ6G

To learn more about other HIV awareness days and to download a calendar, check out the POZ feature “2024 HIV and AIDS Awareness Days.”