International women’s day 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS

“We want to be part of the prevention of HIV/AIDS.” Older woman, Zimbabwe.

Older women are at risk from contracting HIV and are often the main carers of adults with HIV related illnesses and children orphaned by AIDS. Yet, HIV information and prevention messages are rarely targeted at older people and international data on infection rates does not include the over 50s.

The exclusive focus on younger people in educational campaigns ignores the need for older women to have information on HIV/AIDS to protect themselves and the children in their care.

Older women at risk of infection
Many women continue to engage in sexual relations into old age and are therefore at risk of HIV infection through unprotected sex. In societies where women have little control over the use of protective measures, older women are as much at a disadvantage as younger women.

Infection data from Uganda collected between 1992 and 2002 shows that the number of people over the age of 50 registering for HIV testing and counselling services has risen sharply from 3% to 30%. Of these, over a third are women and a fifth have tested HIV positive.

Older women carry the burden of care
Older women are often the primary carers of their adult children living with HIV/AIDS. In Zimbabwe, for example, over 70% of carers are over the age of 60, and three quarters of these are women.

Furthermore, grandparents, particularly grandmothers, are the sole carers of over half of all orphaned and vulnerable children in Southern Africa.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. These children’s parents were supposed to be taking care of me. Now they are dead and I am nursing their children,” says Akeyo, 74, an older carer from Kenya, who is looking after her 10 grandchildren.

Where is the global response?
The recently launched Global Coalition on Women and recognises that older women often become the sole carers for their adult children and orphaned grandchildren, but does not explicitly mention older women as an at risk group.

The World Health Organisation has a target of ensuring treatment and care for 3 million people living with AIDS by 2005.

Perhaps these new initiatives will galvanise much needed support for older women?

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HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organisations with a mission to work with and for disadvantaged older people worldwide to achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives. For further information visit our website at www.helpage.org

HelpAge International is a member of the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development and the Stop AIDS Campaign.