HIV And The Elderly

If you, a friend, or a family member is suffering from HIV, search for HIV help in NYC to find a qualified HIV specialist in NYC. It is important to keep current on HIV healthcare changes, especially for HIV in older adults. An HIV specialist in NYC can explain the increased risks related to HIV and aging. It may be tricky determining whether you have contracted HIV; therefore, to prevent HIV transmission, you should get tested regularly for HIV. It is extremely hazardous for your partner and yourself if you continue your sex life with no alterations after having contracted HIV.

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV damages and weakens the body’s immune system, which your body uses to fight off infections and diseases. Due to the nature of the virus, HIV makes you more susceptible to get other life-threatening diseases, infections, and cancers. If the body fails in fighting off the other diseases and infections, the HIV can develop into AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS does not always develop in HIV patients, but it is the final stage of the HIV virus. If you are infected with the virus, there are drugs that can keep your viral load undetectable. This means that you still are infected with the virus, but if your blood were to be analyzed, no signs of the virus would be found.

The number of older people infected with HIV/AIDS is growing. One explanation to why that is—HIV treatments have improved, increasing the average lifespan of an HIV/AIDS-infected person. People age 55 or older make up one-fifth of Americans living with HIV. Many of them were diagnosed while younger, however, thousands of older people still get infected annually. Because older people are less likely to get tested, many do not know they have HIV. They often mistake the aches and pains of HIV symptoms with pains of normal aging. The number of older people infected with HIV grows each year. This may be because older individuals often know less about HIV transmission than younger people. They may be unaware of the importance of using condoms, not sharing needles, and getting screened for HIV.

HIV transmission rates are extremely high because of blood transfusions, sexual intercourse, and mother-to-child transmission. Antiretroviral therapy drugs can help decrease HIV transmission rates in all types of exposure. It has been said that HIV in older people acts faster than in younger people. Because older people typically have other health complications in addition to HIV, they can get sick and die quickly. However, due to successes in antiretroviral treatment, older people can normally live out the rest of their lives. When it comes to HIV and aging, HIV healthcare is imperative. Search for HIV help in NYC to find a qualified HIV specialist in NYC that can help treat HIV in older adults.

• What is HIV?Read More
• Finding an HIV specialistRead More
• Treatment and prevention of HIVRead More