A 56-year-old patient whose appendicitis turned out to be a result of HIV said they thought is was a ‘young person’s illness’.
Ashley, whose second name has not been revealed, told the BBC that over 50s think they are safe to have unprotected sex because they won’t get pregnant.
But charities have today reminded that HIV can affect anyone, and STIs are becoming a growing problem among older people in the UK.
Of those over 50 diagnosed with HIV, six in ten receive a late diagnosis, official figures show, as experts fear GPs are not offering sexual health tests.
They also said older generations don’t use condoms because they wrongly believe HIV is a ‘gay disease’, a stigma that followed the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.
Ashley, 56, whose appendicitis turned out to be a result of HIV said they thought is was a ‘young person’s illness’. They were diagnosed at a late stage, like the six in ten over 50s
Ashley, whose second name has not been revealed, told the BBC that over 50s think they are safe to have unprotected sex and not get STIs like HIV
Ashley, who is now aged 59, received a HIV diagnosis so late the virus had already damaged their immune system.
Ashley was rushed into hospital with appendicitis and shingles, but never imagined the cause was HIV. Doctors also gave no indication of the virus.
Ashley said: ‘They said there’s nothing wrong with you, you’ve had a virus – not knowing that I’d still got the biggest virus you could possibly get.
‘Over-50s, people who’ve come out of divorce, or marriage, they think they’re safe.
‘Because nobody can get pregnant anymore, “there’s no danger”.
‘Because “those illnesses are for young people”. But they’re not, they’re for everybody.
‘I didn’t mind being HIV positive. But it was just that delay – that they didn’t find it. It was so long… and the damage done to my body – I’m a little bit bitter about.’
Karen Norton, 63, who contracted HIV a number of years ago in Africa, said: ‘The majority of us all believe we’re invincible and it’ll never happen to us.
‘Professionals sort of assume that an over 50-year-old wouldn’t have this illness.
‘It’s an assumption that I think is generally something we all make about over 50-year-olds.
‘If you have unprotected sex then it can happen to you. I’m a living example.’
HIV is carried in certain body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk.
Having unprotected sex or sharing drug injection equipment increases the risk of contracting HIV.
Although gay men are one of the at-risk groups, anyone can get HIV if they have unprotected sex.
Many over 50s’ are still enjoying an active sex life into their 60s’, 70s’ and beyond and are increasingly likely to be single or starting new relationships because of separation or bereavement.
Experts have blamed unprotected sex on the fact older people are not worried about pregnancy for rising STI rates among over 45s.
Aled Osborne, from Brigstowe, a Bristol-based charity supporting people affected by HIV, said: ‘Older people are using the same dating sites and apps that young people do, so they are meeting new people.
‘People may believe that HIV is not applicable to them as they themselves do not identify as gay.
‘Women in this age bracket may also be post-menopausal and as there is no risk of pregnancy either partner may not see the need to use condoms.
‘Stigma surrounding divorce and the view of continuing to be married after a loved one has passed has significantly decreased so people are moving on and meeting new partners.’
This stigma that HIV is a ‘gay disease’ was shaped by the 1980s and 90s HIV and AIDS epidemic and persists today.
Natasha Dhumma, head of policy and campaigns, at National AIDS Trust (NAT), said education about HIV needs to extend to older audiences.
She said: ‘Huge strides have been made since the 1980s; medical advances, better rates of testing and early diagnosis, access to information through relationships and sex education in schools, online and sexual health services among others.
‘But older people don’t necessarily get to benefit from those and they often aren’t considered a key audience for such initiatives. This must change as HIV affects people of all ages.’
Overall rates of HIV have been declining substantially since 2012 – today, an estimated 101,600 people are living with HIV in the UK, almost half of whom (47,800) are heterosexual.
But a key challenge in the UK is late diagnosis, particularly among over 50s and heterosexual men.
Six out of ten people in these brackets who were diagnosed with HIV in 2018 were told at a late stage, official figures show.
The symptoms of fatigue, rapid weight loss and night sweats could be missed or misdiagnosed as something else by doctors.
Mr Osbourne said: ‘This cohort may not be aware of the sexual health testing services available to them and are most likely going to visit their GP for a health condition.
‘Some GP’s and the general population do not consider these people are having sex so do not initiate a conversation and this is where missed opportunities to test and diagnose occur.
‘HIV is not the death sentence it once was. The earlier people get tested, the earlier they can be started on treatment.’
People living with HIV who are diagnosed late have been unaware of their HIV infection on average for around three to five years. During this time, they may transmit the virus on to others.
They have a ten-fold greater risk of dying within a year compared to those diagnosed promptly.
Ms Dhumma, of NAT said: ‘Older people living with HIV are also more likely to experience loneliness and other long-term conditions alongside HIV that mean that their care needs can be more complex.’