Women of all ages can become infected with HIV, including women over 50 years of age.
- One in four people infected with HIV in the United States is female.
- More than one in two new HIV diagnoses occur in people over 50 years of age.
Older women are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of the disease than younger women. Maybe it’s because they don’t know they are in danger.
Diagnosing the disease later increases the risk of HIV-related illness and death from the disease.
How can menopause affect your HIV risk?
Even women over 50 still have sex.
A recent study found that one in two people over the age of 50 reported having had sex in the past week. Because pregnancy is no longer a concern for postmenopausal women, they may not think about safe sex or talk about it with their partners or providers.
This means that women are less likely to use condoms to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections after menopause. However, perimenopausal women may be more susceptible to HIV infection. Hormonal changes can cause the vagina to become thinner and drier, making vaginal tissue more prone to tearing, which increases the risk of HIV entering the body during sexual intercourse.
Some older women (and their health care providers) note that health changes may occur leading up to menopause.
For example, night sweats are a typical menopause symptom, but they are also common in people with HIV infection.
Preventing HIV during menopause and beyond
It’s never too late to protect yourself from HIV. Start with these proactive steps:
- If you are unsure of your partner’s HIV status, use a condom.
- Get tested for HIV.
- Ask your health care provider about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medication that can prevent HIV.
This training material was created with support from Merck.
