Older adults and HIV/AIDS: Implications for educators

Abstract Despite the increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS issues in the United States, there has been a lack of research examining the knowledge levels of older adults about the disease. This article gives an overview of the HIV/AIDS problem, notes concerns relating to older adults, and reports on a research project which found a sample of older adults generally knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS issues. Almost a third of the sample, however, lacked knowledge about the mechanisms for the transmission and accurate understanding of confidentiality issues. The oldest respondents had the least accurate knowledge about the disease. The findings suggest that opportunities for older adults to learn about HIV/AIDS are needed, and educational issues are discussed.

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