With advances in effective HIV treatment, people with HIV are living longer, healthier lives. National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) was launched on September 18, 2008, by The AIDS Institute. This observance highlights the complex issues related to HIV prevention, care, and treatment for adults aged 50 or older. NHAAD emphasizes the need for prevention, research, and data focused on the aging community and increased medical understanding of the aging process and its effects on older people with and affected by HIV.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of people with HIV in the United States are aged 50 or older. Approximately 16 percent of new HIV diagnoses occurred in this age group in 2021. People aging with HIV can face an increased risk of comorbidities and treatment-related challenges, such as drug interactions between HIV medicines and medicines used for other conditions.   

Learn more and access additional resources on the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day page, and find out how the NIH Office of AIDS Research is advancing research to support people aging with HIV through the HIV and Aging Signature Program.