Ageing with HIV in Victoria: findings from a qualitative study

Karalyn McDonald, Julian Elliott, Anne Lise Saugeres

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The average age of people living with HIV in Australia is increasing due to improved survival and increasing age at time of diagnosis.1 At the end of 2008, an estimated 17,444 people were living with HIV in Australia.2 Modelling estimates and national surveys indicate the average age of Australians living with HIV is now over 45 years and the number of people aged over 60 years has been increasing at 12 per year since 1995.3 4 5 In Australia, the proportion of people with HIV over the age of 55 years is estimated to have increased from 2.7 in 1985 to 11.2 in 2000 and 25.7 in 2010, with a projected further increase to 44.3 by 2020.6 The Positive Ageing Project, funded by the Department of Health, Victoria, aims to explore the impacts of ageing and increased burden of chronic disease on people living with HIV and investigate social, welfare and health system approaches to improve experiences of ageing in this population. This paper reports on the findings from the qualitative study and will contribute to the second phase of the project which will develop a pilot program in response to the findings of Phase 1.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1 - 4
Number of pages4
JournalHIV Australia
Volume11
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 2014

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