Open AccessA missing piece in the puzzle: HIV in mature adults in sub-Saharan Africa
Author(s) -
Portia Mutevedzi,
Marie-Louìse Newell
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
future virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.462
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1746-0808
pISSN - 1746-0794
DOI - 10.2217/fvl.11.43
Subject(s) - human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , psychological intervention , medicine , young adult , stigma (botany) , gerontology , antiretroviral treatment , transmission (telecommunications) , social stigma , men who have sex with men , antiretroviral therapy , immunology , psychiatry , viral load , syphilis , electrical engineering , engineering
Healthcare and social needs for mature adults aged 50 years or older differ from those of younger adults due to stigma concerning HIV in older people, beliefs that engagement in sexual activity no longer applies, age driven comorbidities and responses to antiretroviral treatment, which complicate HIV diagnosis and management. In the face of a growing HIV epidemic in mature adults, mostly due to infected people aging with HIV, but also due to new infections in this age group, HIV services, which mostly cater for HIV in young adults and children, and HIV education messages and interventions, which mainly target young adults, leave the mature adult exposed and vulnerable to HIV transmission and to a lack of care and treatment thereafter.