HIV/AIDS and Older Adults Training and Technical Assistance Program

Now in its third year, the HIV/AIDS and Older Adults Training and Technical Assistance Program is responding to the growing population of older adults living with HIV/AIDS. Partnering with AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA), CSCS brings training and technical assistance to agencies throughout all five boroughs.

Why is this important?

Older adults are not perceived as being at risk for HIV, which creates several challenges to developing educational & prevention programming geared toward older adults. Studies have shown that healthcare providers are reluctant to discuss sexual health issues with older patients. Additionally, in older adult patients who are HIV positive, care is complicated by common problems of aging such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and depression.

The number of older adults with HIV is today larger than ever and the percent of people with AIDS over age 50 is now more than double that of people under 24. Currently over 30% of those living with HIV in New York City are above age 50 and 70% of those living with HIV are above age 40. One in every six new cases in NYC is found in people over the age of 50.