I'm Over Fifty. Should I Worry About HIV?

Older individuals need to be just as careful to avoid contracting HIV as younger people do. People often assume that older adults don't need to worry about HIV. Few people realize that almost one in six new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in America are in people age 50 and older. Older people have many of the same risk factors as younger people. HIV transmission through injection drug use accounts for more than 16% of AIDS cases among persons aged 50 and older. Since post-menopausal women no longer need to worry about preventing unwanted pregnancies, they may not use condoms. In reality, they are at risk for HIV and need to use condoms to prevent contracting sexually transmitted diseases. The development of medications for erectile dysfunction such as Viagra has meant that many older men who previously were unable to have sex are now able to be sexually active again. Older people may be less likely to receive education on HIV prevention, education, and testing.