Key points:
- One in four HIV patients receiving medical care in Ukraine is aged 50 or over.
- The proportion of new HIV cases among people aged 50 and over has risen from 12% in 2020 to 22% in 2025.
- The proportion of people aged 50 and over who are diagnosed with AIDS for the first time has risen from 20% to 29% over the past five years — this is driving up mortality rates.
- In the US, 54% of people diagnosed with HIV are over 50; globally, their numbers have doubled over the past decade.
- Late diagnosis is linked to symptoms being mistaken for age-related conditions, low testing rates and stigma.
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis are available to people of all ages and significantly reduce the risk of infection.
- Regular HIV testing should become the norm, just like checking your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
There is still a widespread misconception in Ukrainian society that HIV is a problem affecting young people. The statistics debunk this myth: today, one in four patients living with HIV and receiving medical care in Ukraine is aged 50 or over.
The proportion of new diagnoses in this age group has almost doubled over five years: from 12% in 2020 to 22% in 2025. Another even more alarming figure is the proportion of people aged 50 and over who are diagnosed with AIDS for the first time (already at a late stage of the disease), which has risen from 20% to 29%. This has a direct impact on mortality rates.
The situation in Ukraine follows the global trend. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2022, 54% of all people diagnosed with HIV in the United States — over 596,000 people — were over 50 years old. Around 16% of new cases also fell within this age group. According to estimates by international experts, the number of people aged 50 and over living with HIV worldwide has more than doubled over the last decade.
There are several reasons for this. Firstly, physiology changes with age: mucous membranes become more vulnerable, increasing the risk of infection during unprotected sex. At the same time, HIV symptoms — fatigue, weight loss, night sweats — are easily confused with signs of age-related or chronic conditions, delaying diagnosis. Secondly, older people are less likely to get tested, believing that it does not apply to them; doctors do not always offer the test to such patients either. Thirdly, the stigma surrounding one’s sex life makes people avoid open discussions with their doctor.
An active personal life after 50 — new relationships, travel, intimacy — is the norm, not the exception. Situations where there is a risk of infection can arise for anyone, regardless of age or experience: a new partner, unprotected sex, contact with blood.
See also the discussion on HMH Talks:
