The Graying of AIDS

Stories From An Aging Pandemic

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Kim, age 59/Melbourne, Australia

June 7, 2017 by admin

I first learned I was positive in 1994. I was unwell and went to a friend of mine who was my doctor as well, and he just threw every test at me possible, and a couple of weeks later he hadn’t got back to me, so I rang him. I just happened to be […]

Categories: Age 55-59, Asia-Pacific, Female • Tags: advocacy, Art/creativity, Australia, caregiving, children/parenthood, doctor/patient relationship, family, helping others, HIV/AIDS community dynamics, HIV/AIDS education, pre/post-test counseling, stigma, Women & Girls, working in HIV/AIDS community

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Hope, age 62/Francistown, Botswana

June 6, 2017 by admin

I was working with a family, and somebody had some kind of blisters that week. I was in Australia then. I was away from home, I was away from a lot of people. I was alone. Even though I was in denial, I knew what this was, because I had been unwell. I don’t remember […]

Categories: Africa, Age 60-64, Female • Tags: ageism, Art/creativity, Australia, body image, Botswana, caregiving, Caring for Older Adults, class, dating, death/dying, disclosure, doctor/patient relationship, employment/retirement, family, grief/loss, healthcare professional, helping others, HIV & the law, HIV/AIDS education, Immigration, isolation, married/life partner, Neuropathy, pain, polypharmacy, sex/sexuality, shingles, side effects, stigma, stress, support, treatment access, United States, weight

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Neale, age 54, and Max, age 60 / Melbourne, Australia

November 30, 2015 by admin

Neale: I met this man while we were conversing online. It was really a meeting of minds on a whole lot of levels. I could sense that he was very open about his status. He worked for an organization where he was identifiable as a positive man, and I was intrigued with how he […]

Categories: Age 50-54, Age 60-64, Couple, Male • Tags: Australia, dating, disclosure, fear, fear of transmission, libido, life experience/age as an asset, love, positive partners, sex/sexuality

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Gerome, age 51 / Abbotsford, Australia

December 15, 2014 by admin

I think that my story is personal, it’s unique, and it is not tragic. And, I think it’s something that is probably a little bit different from other people’s stories, because I took it more as a relief that I don’t have to fear HIV anymore. I don’t have to – there was no fear […]

Categories: Age 50-54, Asia-Pacific, Male • Tags: Australia, celibacy, dating/relationships, disclosure, faith/spirituality, family, fear of transmission, France, Healthcare access, homophobia, love, Philippines, pre/post-test counseling, Recent diagnosis, relief, serodiscordant couple, sex/sexuality, stigma, Tanzania, treatment access, Viral load/”undetectable”

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Suzanne, age 59 / Melbourne, Australia

December 1, 2014 by admin

I first learned that I was HIV-positive in a letter from a doctor. I’d been working in a little hospital in rural Africa, but I had to go away somewhere else to find a GP to take my blood, because there was just the risk of too much scrutiny, and confidentiality – I didn’t feel […]

Categories: Age 55-59, Asia-Pacific, Female • Tags: Australia, children/parenthood, China, dating/relationships, disclosure, family, healthcare professional, HIV & the law, HIV/AIDS community dynamics, HIV/AIDS education, Immigration, pre/post-test counseling, support, Zimbabwe

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Rodney, age 67 / Melbourne, Australia

December 1, 2014 by admin

I didn’t come out. I didn’t tell anyone. No one knew for 10 years. And I think that’s what helped me. You see, on that day I was told – because this was what you were told in those days – I was told that I could possibly be dead in 5 years, but if […]

Categories: Age 65-69, Asia-Pacific, Male • Tags: Australia, death/dying, disclosure, fear of transmission, grief/loss, pre/post-test counseling, support, treatment adherence

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Katherine, age 56 / Adelaide, Australia

December 1, 2014 by admin

I always wanted a big family, you know – four to six children. My career was in childcare. I found out that I was positive and pregnant at the same time. My partner came with me, and we found out that he was also positive. And they basically said three things to us: “Don’t tell […]

Categories: Age 55-59, Asia-Pacific, Female • Tags: Australia, children, death/dying, family, grandchildren, grief/loss, guilt, jail/incarceration, joy, married/life partner(s), pre/post-test counseling, stigma, substance use/recovery, support, working in HIV/AIDS community

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David, age 61 / Melbourne, Australia

December 1, 2014 by admin

I’ve really had a lot of AIDS-defining illnesses in the ‘90s, some of which I’ve lived with since. I’ve developed diabetes, and, as a consequence, probably accelerated by my use of the drug Tenofovir, I’ve developed some renal disease. It’s okay, but it needs to be watched. I had excessive HIV wasting in the ‘80s, […]

Categories: Age 60-64, Asia-Pacific, Male • Tags: Australia, AZT/early medications, co-morbidities, diabetes, exercise/fitness, frailty, Illness/Wellness, inflammation, mobility issues, pain, renal disease, support, wasting, weight

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Bev, age 63 / Gunditjmara Nation, Wangaratta, Australia

December 1, 2014 by admin

I don’t feel OLD old, ‘cause I’m still feeling young, because I’m still here, you know. I feel really grateful that I don’t ponder on, oh, you know, I’m turning into this old woman or anything. I used to be offended when, say 10 years ago, when people would stand up for me in the […]

Categories: Age 60-64, Asia-Pacific, Female • Tags: Aboriginal/Indigenous/First Nations, Australia, children/parenthood, grandchildren, gratitude, life experience/age as an asset, positive outlook

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Bill, age 64 / Cairns, Australia

December 1, 2014 by admin

It’s very difficult to meet positive people, because mostly, they’re still too afraid to come out and disclose their status to almost anyone. And I really would like to have a positive partner. I don’t ever want to infect anyone with this thing – because although it’s not a death sentence anymore, it still is […]

Categories: Age 60-64, Asia-Pacific, Male • Tags: Australia, children/parenthood, companionship, dating/relationships, disclosure, family, fear of transmission, libido, love, married/life partner(s), positive partners, stigma, support

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Glenn, age 50 / Newcastle, Australia

November 30, 2014 by admin

I think it’s harder now to live up to the expectation that you’re well. People think that HIV has been finished. That the treatments are great and everyone’s fantastic. Because “the drugs are working so well now.” “We’ve solved the issues.” “There’s no more side effects.” “Yeah, it’s all done.” Um, no it’s not. And […]

Categories: Age 50-54, Asia-Pacific, Male • Tags: Australia, fear, grief/loss, Healthcare access, HIV/AIDS community dynamics, Illness/Wellness, side effects, treatment access, Work/Career

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Susan, age 62 / Melbourne, Australia

November 30, 2014 by admin

By the end of ’99, I’d really been living with HIV for over a decade – my health was going downhill rapidly. I was doing a PhD thesis. I was telling people, check the hard drive in case I die, check the hard drive. Everyone was saying, go on the medication, Susan. I saw all […]

Categories: Age 60-64, Asia-Pacific, Female • Tags: Australia, CD4 count, early antiretroviral medications, medication, Viral load/”undetectable”

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