Advances in medicine mean more people are living longer with HIV. But aging with HIV comes with increased health risks, and this growing population needs specialized care that's hard to find.iframe src="https://www.npr.
More than half of the people living with HIV in the United States are, like Reid, 50 or older. Researchers estimate that 70% of people living with the virus will fall in that age range by 2030. Aging with HIV means anYet the U.S. health care system isn’t prepared to handle the needs of the more than half a million people — those already infected and those newly infected with HIV — who are older than 50, say HIV advocates, doctors, government officials, people living with HIV, and researchers.
People are living longer with the virus due in part to the development of antiretroviral therapies — drugs that reduce the amount of virus in the body.. Older people often must coordinate care across specialists and are frequently on multiple prescriptions, increasing their risk for adverse drug reactions.Some people face what researchers call the “dual stigma” of ageism and anti-HIV bias. They also have high rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
“Many of the people aging with HIV were pioneers in HIV treatment,” says Laura Cheever, who oversees the Ryan White program for the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA. Researchers have a lot to learn about the best ways to meet the needs of the population, she said.The Ryan White program’s core budget has remained mostly flat since 2013 despite adding 50,000 patients, Cheever says.
Some 40% of people living with HIV rely on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people. The decision by