GMHC Commemorates National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

Co-Hosts Briefing at the Capitol on Older Americans and HIV/AIDS in Washington DC

9.18.2013

New York, NY--National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD) on Wednesday, September 18, helps to raise attention to the critical issues faced by older people living with and at risk of HIV.

According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 75% of HIV-positive New Yorkers are now 40 and older, and more than a third are 50 or older. Women over age 50 comprise a growing percentage of new HIV diagnoses among older adults.

By 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over half of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV will be over the age of 50; yet our nation is not prepared for the medical and social implications of this growing population. Existing research on appropriate treatment is meager, and HIV and AIDS stigma are widespread among older communities. Moreover, the myth that older adults are not sexually active causes a serious barrier to prevention and care. The United States needs to increase response to social services, wellness programming and research on aging with HIV, prevention programs geared towards older adults, as well as culturally competent training for care-providers.

"GMHC continues to highlight this trend and issued a report, 'Growing Older With the Epidemic: Aging and HIV' to better emphasize solutions for this critical problem," said Janet Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer (and Interim CEO) of GMHC. "We remain committed to working with local and national leadership and our elected officials to address the complexities of HIV and aging."

In Washington, DC, GMHC, AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA), Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), National Hispanic Council on Aging and the Human Rights Campaign, will co-host a briefing at the Capitol entitled, Older Americans: The Changing Face of HIV/AIDS in America." The briefing will highlight the news and challenges of older adults with and at risk of HIV. In particular, the discussion will focus on federal AIDS policy and how investments in HIV and aging research, care and programs will improve and extend lives, and save money.

In NYC, GMHC will provide free HIV testing on September 18, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, at the Senior Health Fair at Riverbank State Park, 145th Street and the Riverside Drive.

Lastly, the New York Association on HIV Over Fifty (NYAHOF) has joined GMHC's Volunteer, Work and Wellness Center, which provides a variety of complementary therapies and support services to individuals living with HIV and AIDS, and more specifically to those over age 50. NYAHOF is managed by Ed Shaw, a longtime volunteer.