National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

With advances in effective HIV treatment, people with HIV are living longer, healthier lives. National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) was launched on September 18, 2008, by The AIDS Institute. This day raises awareness about the complex issues related to HIV prevention, care, and treatment for adults aged 50 or older. NHAAD emphasizes the need for prevention, research, and data focused on the aging community and increased medical understanding of the aging process and its effects on older people with and affected by HIV.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of people with HIV in the United States are aged 50 or older. Approximately 16 percent of new HIV diagnoses occurred in this age group in 2021. People aging with HIV can face treatment-related challenges, such as drug interactions between HIV medicines and medicines used for other conditions. Also, the risk for comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, some cancers, bone fractures/osteoporosis, liver disease, kidney disease, neurocognitive decline, and aging-related frailty is higher among people with HIV than among those without HIV.

Research to identify and address the long-term health needs of people aging with HIV across the care continuum is critical to support this growing population and their care providers. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports basic, translational, and clinical research across NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) to increase understanding of HIV-associated comorbidities and their prevention and management, as well as their relationship to aging and HIV. The NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) launched the HIV and Aging Signature Program in 2022 to meet increasing public health needs of people aging with HIV and to catalyze interdisciplinary research and training at the intersection of HIV and aging. OAR has convened a working group co-led by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) that endeavors to link NIH, people aging with HIV, researchers, and relevant U.S. government partners in discussions to foster collaboration, identify research gaps and opportunities, facilitate integrative research and training, and promote faster implementation of research results.

Check out these HIVinfo resources to learn more:

• HIV and Older People (Fact sheet)
• Living with HIV and AIDS (HIV Source)
• Older Adults (HIV Source)

Social Media

Use the hashtags #NHAAD and #HIVandAging to follow the conversation on social media. Check out the “Use Digital Communication” resources on the HIV.gov National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day webpage for tips on how to amplify the conversation and spread awareness on social media. Download graphics and find sample social media posts to help raise awareness of HIV, address stigma and other barriers to care, and encourage older adults to get tested and know their status on CDC’s National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day webpage. Find additional downloadable social media graphics on the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day webpage from The AIDS Institute.