ABSTRACT
Since its beginning, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has had its most devastating impact on the young. In recent years, and for several reasons, an increasing number of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), whether newly diagnosed or not, have been over the age of 50, particularly in developed countries. In the United States, the proportion of PLWHA over the age of 50 increased from 17% to 24% between 2001 and 2005, a year in which 15% of new diagnoses of HIV/ AIDS were among those over 50 (1). Improvements in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have brought dramatic improvements in life expectancy such that many patients diagnosed at earlier ages are now living well past 50. With the incorporation of HIV testing up to the age of 64 into routine medical care, as has been recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (see chap. 1), the number of infected older individuals identified may increase further.
