By Vincent Lim
HIV/AIDS education, prevention and treatment efforts often focus on young adults and other populations considered the most sexually active and at risk. Yet, statistics show that HIV/AIDS is not just a young person’s disease.
Karen Lincoln, an associate professor at the USC School of Social Work, organized a Visions & Voices screening and discussion of “Even Me” at the USC School of Cinematic Arts that hopes to change perceptions.
The film highlights the rise of HIV/AIDS among middle-aged and older adults in communities of color.
“‘Even Me’ is more than a documentary; it is a tool designed to bring awareness of the HIV crisis among an invisible population,” said Megan Ebor, who produced the film and has worked in the field of aging for over 15 years.
Surprising Numbers
According to the film, 50 percent of people living in the United States with HIV are over age 50.
“These rates are alarming, yet little attention is given to this segment of our population,” Lincoln said. “We hope that the film will highlight this epidemic and raise awareness of the significance of this issue for our communities.”
Health care providers can be unwilling to initiate conversations with middle-aged and older adults about sensitive topics like their patients’ sex lives, drug use or HIV/AIDS status. Some physicians also assume that older patients are not at a high risk for infection compared to younger populations. Data suggests otherwise.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that people age 50 or older account for 21 percent of all HIV diagnoses and 27 percent of all AIDS diagnoses in the United States.