Stigma and Discrimination of Living with HIV in Middle-Aged People - Literature review Example

Many people around the globe have traditionally held the view that HIV is a young people’s disease and so do not expect the old people to contract and harbor it (Baggott, 2010). Despite this fact, the advent and common use of the active antiretroviral drugs that have been used to alleviate the HIV conditions in humans have extended the lives of many people, who, today, find themselves attracted into the old age bracket amidst harboring HIV status.

Other than the number of older people becoming newly infected with the disease, the number of old people who were infected before continues to increase further swelling the number. In this study, the old age bracket is considered to be at 50 years and beyond. Past research indicates that the total number of individuals who are living with HIV and aids in the United States was estimated to have increased from 59,649 to 112,447 between the years 200 and 2004. The cities considered to be the epicenters of the occurrence of the disease in the region such as New York have continued to register the highest number of people living with HIV over time. For instance, in New York, over 30% of the total number of people living with HIV is considered to be old, over 50 years and beyond (Barnett & Whiteside, 2006). 25% of those living with the disease in Los Angeles on the other hand fall above 50 years. Owing to these facts, the rate of discrimination and stigma among these people is expected to increase and even double overtime. Such stigmatization characteristics are mainly common among peers, at workplaces, and in homes and are likely to be determined by factors such as age differences, gender categories, race and ethnicity as well as other related social factors such as drugs and substance abuse, and mental health conditions.  

Justification of the study

The number of old people suffering from HIV/AIDS infection has continued to increase in various places around the globe. Various studies have been carried out by an increasing number of people to address different aspects of the effects of HIV/AIDS infection in society covering mainly women and young persons.