A Missing Piece in the Puzzle: HIV in Mature Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Healthcare and social needs for mature adults aged 50 years or older differ from those of younger adults due to stigma concerning HIV in older people, beliefs that engagement in sexual activity no longer applies, age driven comorbidities and responses to antiretroviral treatment, which complicate HIV diagnosis and management. In the face of a growing HIV epidemic in mature adults, mostly due to infected people aging with HIV, but also due to new infections in this age group, HIV services, which mostly cater for HIV in young adults and children, and HIV education messages and interventions, which mainly target young adults, leave the mature adult exposed and vulnerable to HIV transmission and to a lack of care and treatment thereafter.

Keywords:

• ART
• diagnosis
• elderly
• HIV
• older adults
• prevention

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Abraham Malaza (Africa Centre HIV surveillance project leader).

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies is funded by a core grant from the Wellcome Trust (Grant number 082384/Z/07/Z) (www.wellcome.ac.uk). The funders had no role in the preparation of the manuscript. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies is funded by a core grant from the Wellcome Trust (Grant number 082384/Z/07/Z) (www.wellcome.ac.uk). The funders had no role in the preparation of the manuscript. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.