Ageing
Long-term (25 years or more) HIV infection, with the side effects from Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), may speed up the ageing process. This is because the immune system is under pressure, placing the body under stress. Research shows that living long-term with HIV predisposes you to other medical problems, even if your HIV is well-managed and at undetectable levels.
This is a new challenge, and we are working towards improving outcomes.
The recent AFAO publication 'Ahead of Time: A practical guide to living with HIV', outlines a range of health considerations for people living with HIV and lists national support and services details.
In 2010, Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York produced a print resource Growing Older with the Epidemic: HIV and Ageing. Although it draws its data from the United States and is written with the US healthcare system in mind, it also contains a wealth of up to date information on ageing with HIV.
Useful resources
- Growing Older with the Epidemic: HIV and Ageing, (PDF 947 KB) produced by GMHC in New York.
- Ageing and HIV, from The Body, a US website.
- Older than his years, article by VAC/GMHC Board member, David Menadue.
- Ahead of Time: A practical guide to growing older with HIV, (PDF 1.3 MB) produced by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, with NAPWA and ACON.
