HIV and the older population

Jul 13, 2008 News

When persons hear about HIV & AIDS they immediately think about youths being careless and contracting the virus.

HIV/AIDS is a global problem of catastrophic proportions. But we as individuals are not powerless to face it. HIV is not only a medical disease but a psychological one as well in that the disease does not only break down your immune system but also your emotional structure.

Guyana has one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean region; it is estimated that between 18-20,000 Guyanese are living with HIV/AIDS, with youths among the hardest hit. But moreover, there is an untold story about how HIV actually affects the older generation in Guyana and around the world, in the age range of 35 to 55 years old.

Since HIV surfaced in Guyana around the late 1980s, the disease has claimed the lives of many older persons, particularly in this age group.

But is society focusing enough on this age group? Surveys have revealed that the general perception is that HIV is a youth problem and much needed information and attention is not given to our older generation. As a result, older persons may tend not to employ the necessary prevention mechanisms to avoid this dreaded disease.

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS?
At the end of 2001, an estimated 40 million people were living with HIV in the world. About 8 million of them are from the Caribbean. Unfortunately, however, the available data does not include much information on how the pandemic has affected the older generation.

In Guyana, it is unlikely to hear of a 55-year-old grandmother who is infected with the virus. It is more common to hear of someone her daughter’s age being infected. However some older people tend to behave in the same manner in which some young people do – having multiple sex partners, unprotected sex, and disregarding sexual transmitted infections. In some cases there are even reports of substance abuse.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 35-55 age groups accelerate the progress of HIV to AIDS and blunt the CD4 cells response to the antiretroviral therapy. Age-related illnesses such as osteoporosis also increase the risk of complication during therapy.

Some older people tend to view condoms primarily as a contraceptive measure. A study which was done by a well known local Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) involved in the fight against the pandemic shows that a mere one sixth of persons over the age of 50 are likely to use a condom every time they have sex, making them more likely to contract the HIV.

For example, in the post menopausal stage the vaginal walls become thinner, thus increasing the risk of contracting the virus .Another trend is delaying in the diagnosis of the virus. Some older people mistake the symptoms of the virus for old age symptoms. These include poor memory, fatigue, and lethargy among others.

Interventions that can be made towards reversing this trend include encouraging older persons to take leadership roles in their communities and other family oriented places such as churches and moral groups.

Communication and collaboration between organizations should also be improved with older persons (trying to get the older generation involved in the fight against HIV& AIDS).

Awareness should be created as well as the sharing of personal experiences by fostering the concept of positive living among older Guyanese.

The older generation should also be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills about HIV &AIDS (handbooks, manuals and training sessions).

SOCIAL CONCERN
Older people have a lesser knowledge base about HIV and AIDS and also about prevention and awareness of the virus.

In a study that was done by an NGO, in which they had a hotline service that gave older callers a chance to voice their concerns about the virus and to get information about the disease, only 6% of the callers answered in the affirmative to the question asked as to whether they used condoms during every sexual encounter.

Another 8% said that they did not need information about HIV because they were not at risk of contracting the virus. That attitude may be one of the contributing factors why a lot of older people are living with the disease in Guyana.

Another social myth is that age acts as a stereotype which can be proven to cause deadly results. In some instances, doctors play a major discriminatory role, in that they are least likely to ask older patients about their sex life and would rarely provide them with much needed information about the prevention and awareness of the disease. On the other hand they would routinely offer younger patients condoms and talk to them about HIV/AIDS.

COPING
Coping refers to the way in which a person deals with the fact that he or she has the virus. They go through self talks and emotional management to gain strength.

There are 3 types of coping mechanisms. These include altering the problem directly, changing one’s way of viewing the problem and managing emotional distress created by the problem.

Secrecy is a defence mechanism that the infected person develops. They tend to feel that it’s best if no one knew about their condition.

They also fear being rejected by society. Denial in the person’s perspective is trying their best to neglect the reality of the situation. One can say that the individual attempts to ignore the ramifications of their plight. Regression, compensation, and rationalization make the infected person become more emotional and passive, thus they become more dependent on others.

Self-esteem plays a major role when someone finds out that they are infected.
At the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s highly infectious ward, a significant amount of older persons are patients.

These persons are there mainly because family and friends have “given up” on them, thus making the infected person feel “down spirited.” When this occurs it invariably accelerates the process of HIV to AIDS. This is mainly because the individual is emotionally and psychologically drained. (Latoya Giles)