New England AIDS Education and Training Center: ContentPages

Aging and HIV

Fact Sheets and Infographics

HIV and Older People (HIVinfo) – This fact sheet examines how HIV affects older people, their risk factors for HIV infection, recommendations for HIV testing, and considerations regarding HIV treatment in older people. Also available in Spanish.

HIV in the United States by Age (CDC) – This web page links to data on HIV among different age groups, including people age 55 and older. Information is provided on HIV risk behaviors, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) coverage, HIV incidence, HIV diagnoses, knowledge of HIV status, viral suppression rates, prevention challenges, and what CDC is doing to address HIV in different age groups.

Aging with HIV (HIV.gov) – This fact sheet provides background information about growing older with HIV, the health complications that may occur with aging, the consequences of long-term HIV infection, and the relatively high rate of late HIV diagnosis among older people with HIV. There is also a brief discussion about the importance of support services for older people with HIV.

HIV, AIDS, and Older Adults (National Institute on Aging) – This fact sheet in question-and-answer format gives information about what HIV and AIDS are; HIV transmission, testing, and symptoms; and ways HIV is different in older adults compared to younger persons.

HIV and Aging Infographics from AIDSVu

HIV Surveillance Reports and Data Analyses

Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2020 (CDC) – This surveillance report includes detailed information about new HIV diagnoses, prevalence, and deaths among older persons, as well as persons in other age categories. Breakdowns are also provided by gender, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and geographic region. Many tables in the report include data breakdowns by age. The age categories included for older adults are: 50 to 54, 55 to 59, 60 to 64, and 65 years and older.

Estimated HIV Incidence and Prevalence in the United States, 2015-2019 (CDC) – This report provides estimates of the number of new HIV infections and the total number of persons living with HIV during each year from 2015 through 2019. It begins with a commentary section that summarizes highlights of the report, followed by tables that present data on HIV incidence and prevalence among adults and adolescents, with breakdowns by age, sex at birth, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and region of residence. The age data include statistics for older persons aged 55 years and above. An appendix focuses on the estimated incidence and prevalence of HIV infection among adults and adolescents living in Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Phase 1 jurisdictions.

Monitoring Selected National HIV Prevention and Care Objectives by Using HIV Surveillance Data United States and 6 Dependent Areas, 2020 (CDC) – This report presents the results of focused analyses of U.S. HIV surveillance data to measure progress toward ending the HIV epidemic. It includes information on the stage of HIV disease at the time of diagnosis, linkage to HIV medical care, viral suppression, prevalence-based HIV care continuum, HIV deaths and survival, PrEP use, and perinatal HIV infections. For some measures, data are broken down by age, as well as gender, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and area of residence.

Estimated HIV Incidence and Prevalence in the United States, 2010-2019 (CDC) – This slide set summarizes trends in HIV incidence during the 2010s, with breakdowns by age, sex, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and region. Data for 2019 is also provided on knowledge of HIV status, as well as HIV prevalence in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

HIV Infection, Stage 3 (AIDS), 2020 (CDC) – This slide set summarizes trends in AIDS diagnoses and deaths from 1985 to 2020, with breakdowns by age, sex, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and region. Data on cumulative AIDS diagnoses and deaths through 2020, and AIDS data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas are also provided.

HIV Mortality: 2020 (CDC) – This slide set presents an analysis – in a series of charts, graphs, and maps – of trends in the rates and distribution of deaths among people with HIV disease. Breakdowns are provided by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geographic region.

Materials from the Health Resources and Services Administration

Older Adult Clients: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, 2020 – This fact sheet summarizes selected demographic and health characteristics of adults aged 50 years or older in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). Nearly half (48%) of all RWHAP clients were over 50 during 2020. Of these older clients, 59% had incomes at or below the Federal Poverty Level, about on in 30 (3.6%) experienced unstable housing, and 93% were virally suppressed. More detailed information is provided about these and other demographic characteristics. A related slide deck provides an overview of key data for RWHAP clients aged 50 years or older in a series of graphs.

Optimizing HIV Care for People Aging with HIV: Incorporating New Elements of Care – This guide provides background information about older people with HIV, and highlights the specific health and social challenges, gaps in medical management, and health screening tools available for this group. An extensive list of references is also included. According to HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau, this guide “serves as a starting point for health care teams as they build and expand their knowledge and practice of serving people aging with HIV.”

Optimizing HIV Care for People Aging with HIV: Putting Together the Best Health Care Team – This guide outlines a multi-disciplinary approach for providing high-quality HIV care to older people with HIV. It focuses on the roles and responsibilities of different health care providers who serve older people with HIV, the specific staff training needs of those serving older people with HIV, and the organizational capacity and resources necessary to ensure that older people receive optimal HIV care.

Addressing the Health Care and Social Support Needs of People Aging with HIV – This issue brief discusses considerations for providing HIV medical, psychosocial, and support services to people aging with HIV; opportunities for improving health care services and social support for people aging with HIV; how RWHAP recipients can improve services for people aging with HIV; and workforce issues for people aging with HIV.

Aging with HIV: CARE Challenges – The April 2018 issue of the HRSA CARE Action newsletter focuses on aging with HIV, including HIV diagnosis and treatment for older persons, comorbid conditions, RWHAP-funded programs that address HIV and aging, and HIV treatment guidelines for older adults.

Recommendations, Reports, and Websites

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (HIV.gov) – Led by the AIDS Institute, National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) is observed each year on September 18 to focus on the increasing number of people who, because of major advancements in HIV treatment, are living long, full lives with HIV.

Considerations for Antiretroviral Use in Special Patient Populations: HIV and the Older Person (Clinicalinfo.HIV.gov) – This section of the U.S. Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents Living with HIV focuses on key considerations when caring for older people receiving HIV treatment.

HIV & Aging (University of Minnesota) – This toolkit contains resources for teaching future and current clinicians about HIV and care for older adults. It contains introductory material appropriate for undergraduate and graduate level learners and is intended to help clinicians provide the highest quality care for older adults with HIV.

HIV and Aging (American Academy of HIV Medicine – AAHIVM) – This section of the AAHIVM website focuses on issues related to HIV and aging.

The contents listed on this page are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, the New England AIDS Education and Training Center.