Thread by @MadoxDesolation

HIV is something that has not been getting the attention it needs of late.
On December 29th, 2017, Trump fired all members of the HIV/AIDS advisory council. Two groups have suffered the most from this. People under 25 and the Elderly

You read that right, the Elderly. <Thread>1/

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people 50 and older accounted for 17% (6,812) of the 39,782 new HIV diagnoses in 2016 in the United States. People aged 50 to 54 accounted for 43% (2,959) of the new diagnoses among people aged 50 and older. 2/

Thousands of older people become infected with HIV every year.

Although there is treatment for HIV, (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) older adults may have conditions that can complicate HIV treatment. 3/

Many older adults who begin dating again after a divorce or the death of a partner may not use condoms if they are unaware of the risk of HIV. They often have the misguided belief that they are too old to get HIV and fail to use precautions or get tested. 4/

According to US Dept of Health and Human Services many Older Adults do not get tested because:

💡Health care providers may not think to ask older adults about their HIV risk factors, including sexual activity, and may not recommend HIV testing. 5/

💡Some older people may be embarrassed to discuss HIV testing with their health care providers.

💡In older adults, signs of HIV infection may be mistaken for symptoms of aging or of age-related conditions. Consequently, HIV testing is often not offered to older adults. 6/

💡The belief that the disease only affects LGBTQ individuals.

💡Women who no longer worry about becoming pregnant may be less likely to use a condom and to practice safer sex. 7/

cdc.gov/hiv/group/age/…

Treatment can present different challenges:

📌Liver and kidney functions decline with age. This decline may make it harder for the body to process HIV meds/increase the risk of side effects.

📌The immune system may not recover as well as it does in younger people. 8/

📌Conditions, like diabetes and heart disease can make it more difficult to manage HIV infection.

📌HIV may affect the aging process and increase the risk of age-related conditions such as dementia, bone loss, and some cancers. 9/

📌Taking HIV medicines and medicines for other conditions at the same time may increase the risk of drug-drug interactions and side effects.

⏰However, older adults are more likely to take their HIV medicines every day exactly as prescribed than younger adults. 10/

While many people think sexuality declines as you get older this is a fallacy. Many people continue to have sexual intercourse well into late stages of life. More than one touching story of elderly couples marrying in nursing homes have hit headlines. 11/

In conclusion, if you still have a parent or grandparent who is single, its time to return 'The Talk' to them. It may sound silly, (& start a bit awkward) but it may save their life. No matter how old or young you are:

👔Use Protection

💉Get Tested

👠Stay Safe

#WorldAIDSDay