Marc Chen says he didn’t think he’d make it to the age he is today. The 63-year-old has been living with HIV for 42 years now. He’s also a cancer survivor. He’s one of the growing number of older adults who live with HIV. In fact, half of all people living with HIV are 50 and above. According to research, that proportion will be 70 percent by 2030. That same age group accounts for 17 percent of new HIV diagnoses each year, reports SAGE, an organization that assists older LGBTQ+ adults. LGBTQ+ elders face additional challenges if they acquire HIV. SAGE notes that many queer elders live alone, are financially insecure, and lack trust in the U.S. healthcare system. Moreover, 75 percent of them have another health condition affecting them.
Chen told The Advocate ahead of HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day that he and others living with HIV have to be aware of both how HIV affects their body and how aspects of aging impact their bodies and their diagnoses. “Not only do we have to deal with aging, you know, the body, but then we have to deal with the progression of the condition,” Chen explained. Chen has been using a program from SAGE geared toward those with HIV called SAGEPositive. […]
Click here to view the full piece. This story was originally published on The Advocate Magazine on September 18, 2024.
