Most of the awareness and education about HIV/AIDS and STDs are geared towards young people, minorities and the gay and lesbian community. When is the last time you saw a commercial, billboard or heard a radio announcement targeting their message to older adults?

According to the National Institute on Aging, a growing number of older people now have HIV/AIDS. About 19% of all people with HIV/AIDS in this country are age 50 and older. This is mainly because healthcare providers are finding HIV more often than ever before in older people, and because improved treatments are helping people with HIV/AIDS live longer. But there could be many more cases that have not been diagnosed. The reasons that they may be missed are that older people often mistake signs of HIV/AIDS for the aches and pains of normal aging, so they are less likely to get tested for the disease. Another reason may be that healthcare providers do not normally test older people for HIV/AIDS and so they may miss some cases during their routine check-ups.

The number of HIV/AIDS cases among older people is growing every year because:

· Seniors know less about HIV/AIDS than younger people. They do not always know how it is spread or what to do to protect themselves.
· Health care workers and educators often do not talk with middle-age and older people about HIV/AIDS prevention.
· Older people are less likely than younger people to talk about their sex lives or drug use with their healthcare providers.
· Healthcare providers may not ask older patients about their sex lives or drug use, or talk to them about risky behaviors.

Obviously, something must be done to reach our older adults and healthcare providers about this lack of awareness that is causing an increase in the cases of HIV/AIDS among our older citizens. Some of the recommendations suggested by the National Association on HIV Over Fifty (NAHOF) are:

· Specific programs must be implemented for older adults who need to be informed about the transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS,
· Outreach should include workshops and trainings devoted to basic HIV/AIDS information, "safe" sexual and drug-using practices, testing, and negotiation skills - all in relationship to aging.
· More research is needed to study senior's sexual and drug-using behaviors and to determine HIV disease progression and treatments in the senior population.
· Healthcare and service providers on all levels should be educated on HIV risk behaviors and symptoms of HIV infection; they need to conduct thorough sex and drug-use risk assessments with the older clients and patients.
· Successful media and social marketing campaigns can raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in older people and reinforce the need for educational programs, while promoting respect and validation for the elderly as a group.

Education and awareness to both our senior citizens and healthcare providers is key to preventing HIV/AIDS and ultimately reducing the number of cases among our older adults.