AEGiS-15IAC: AIDS cases among the population over age fifty in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil: A challenge to health care providers.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

AIDS cases among the population over age fifty in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil: A challenge to health care providers.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. MoOrD1095)

Fontenelle do Santos D, Bernardi M, Lauria L, Aquino SL, Durovni B, Cruz M, Rapparini C, Vellozo V, Sa C
Rio de Janeiro City Health Department, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BACKGROUND: As the population continues to age, the number of adults over age 50 living with HIV/AIDS will increase. HIV infection in persons over age 50 has been largely unappreciated in the design of prevention. This paper will evaluate the frequency and characteristics of older AIDS patients in Rio de Janeiro City.

METHODS: The analysis was based upon the AIDS cases notified to the Rio de Janeiro City Health Department. Patients diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 50 years or more were selected.

RESULTS: The database contains 28,920 AIDS cases in adults (13 years or more) since 1982 to 2003. A total of 3,493 (12,1%) were 50 or more years old. Sex: Male-2,544 (72,8%) and Female-949 (27,2%). Age: 50-54 years, 1,588 (45,5%); 55-59 years, 942 (27%); 60-64 years, 511 (14,6%); 65-69 years, 265 (7,6%) and 70 years or more, 187 (5,3%). Schooling:<elementary-170 (4,9%); 1 to 3 years-887 (25,4%); 4 to 11 years-1024 (29,3%); 12 years and more-564 (16,1%) and ignored-848 (24,3%). History of drug use: 57 (1,6%). History of blood transfusion: 318 (9,1%). Cases of AIDS-indicator diseases: PCP-449, Toxoplasmosis-319, Disseminated TB-344, Pulmonary TB-341, KS-157, CMV-133 and Cryptococcosis-98.

CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection in older people has been ignored by health care providers. Medical providers misdiagnose HIV-related symptoms in older patients as the normal process of aging. It should be created educational programs for medical providers on recognizing older people as an at risk population. There are some evidences showing that older adults are not much concerned about their risks of being infected with HIV. They tend not to think of HIV/AIDS as a problem to their own age groups. Older people are often outside the target for HIV prevention programs. Therefore, prevention and education programs of HIV/AIDS should include this population. It is imperative that health care/social providers be made aware that HIV/AIDS is not just a disease of the young.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Health Personnel, Population, HIV Seropositivity, Tuberculosis, Cities, Health, Delivery of Health Care, Research, Health Services, Health Education, Infection, Brazil, Aged, Humans, Adult, Female, Male

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MoOrD1095