HIV infection is increasingly being diagnosed in adults over the age of 50 in Europe, according to an analysis published today.
Middle-aged adults seem to be acquiring the infection through heterosexual sexual contact, according to the study in The Lancet HIV.
Researchers found that in 2015, some 17% of new diagnoses in Europe involved people over the age of 50.
These patients were also more likely than younger ones to have advanced disease, they warned.
The biggest increase in diagnosis rates in older patients occurred in Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the UK, according to the study.
The highest rates of infection in this age group were found in Portugal, Estonia, Latvia and Malta – although rates declined in Portugal.
The analysis was undertaken by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Researcher Dr Lara Tavoschi said: "Our findings suggest a new direction in which the HIV epidemic is evolving. This potentially is a result of older peoples’ low awareness of HIV and how it is transmitted, leading to misconceptions and low perception of their own risk.”
She added: "We need to make both healthcare workers and the general population aware of this issue to reduce stigma and inform people about HIV risks and prevention methods.
“Testing in health care settings and innovative HIV test approaches – such as self-testing – need to be more easily accessible to older people to improve early diagnosis and fast-track treatment initiation.
“When achieved, this should help to prevent further transmission and lower the risk of severe health complications, which is of utmost importance among older adults living with HIV as their risk of mortality is higher as compared to younger individuals."
Dr Lara Tavoschi et al New HIV diagnoses among adults aged 50 years or older in 31 European countries, 2004-15: an analysis of surveillance data The Lancet HIV 27 September 2017; doi:10.1016/S2352-3018(17)30155-8 [abstract]
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