Earlier in September, peripheries commented on HIV amongst people over 50 and the importance of not excluding them from VCT on the basis that they were too old.

In this week’s New York Times, Karen Barrow noted that “Today, because of antiretroviral therapy and an array of drugs to treat both symptoms and side effects, AIDS has become a chronic condition to be managed, at least in the developed world. No longer is the face of AIDS emaciated and covered with lesions; Americans with the disease are stronger and healthier, their concerns fading from public view.”

According to the CDC, 29% of people living with AIDS in the U.S. are over 50 and they account for 15% of all new HIV/AIDS diagnosis in 2005. Myron Gold, 67, former fashion designer turned AIDS and gay-rights activist after being diagnoses with HIV aged 42, asked “What about people 65 and older?”, “They’re having unprotected sex, they’re using drugs.”

Nobody wants to hear about grandpa’s sex life and even less about grandma’s sex life. If it is clear that to date the Seniors are not a very attracting category of people to feel for when it comes to HIV, not as interesting as women and children, not as ignored as MSM and not as looked down on as sex workers,  they will nonetheless weight heavily on the health care system when it comes to treatment.

Though the cost of antiretroviral is expected to go down, new molecules as well as second and third line therapy will remain expensive. Treatment of HIV-related diseases will also weight in particularly in undiagnosed population, who will incidentally continue infecting other as they often consider that they are exempt from condom use. HIV also complicates the treatment of other diseases associated with ageing such as cancer.

The burden of treating an ageing but still sexually active population must be factored in the big HIV/AIDS equation before its cost overtakes the medical care system. And lest we forget, it is still time to prevent the next generation to follow in the steps of this generation.

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