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The US Senate Aging Committee heard
testimony on September 18, the sixth annual National HIV/AIDS and Aging
Awareness Day, from five witnesses testifying about the challenges facing aging
HIV-infected people. Witnesses noted that states with large aging HIV-infected
populations experienced greater impact than other states. According to Kenneth
Miller, executive director of Maine’s Down East AIDS Network, older
HIV-infected people who lived in rural areas faced complicated health issues,
including lack of access to medical care and mental health treatment.
Miller stated that older, rural
patients also isolated themselves because of stigma against those who were gay
and had HIV. Other difficulties specific to rural HIV-infected people included
transportation to physician’s appointments and lack of access to social support
networks. Miller recommended ways to improve the system of care, including
awareness and outreach. He advised that this population was vulnerable to
depression and might not have access to mental health screening and care.
Although treatment advances had
extended life expectancy for HIV patients, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
cautioned older Americans not to stereotype HIV as a young person’s disease.
Older Americans also were vulnerable to HIV and should “exercise the same kind
of care” if they were engaging in high-risk behaviors.
