Human immunodeficiency virus and the older person

Abstract

This article outlines some of the issues which older people who are infected and/or affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may face. HIV does not discriminate against age, however, clinicians are now seeing an increasing number of HIV positive older people in their everyday practice. This trend is set to continue as HIV becomes more of a chronic health condition as a consequence of more sophisticated treatment regimens. The older population has largely been ignored in the quest to reduce the incidence of HIV infection. This article calls for more research to be conducted taking into account the unique needs of the older population. There is no place in contemporary nursing practice for practitioners to hold erroneous and outdated myths concerning the sexuality and lifestyle choice of the older person.