Characteristics of women 50 years of age or older with heterosexually acquired AIDS.

Abstract

This study compared characteristics of older (> or = 50 years) and younger (< 50 years) women with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) attributed to heterosexual contact. We interviewed women with heterosexually acquired AIDS reported to 12 state and local health departments. Of 556 women interviewed, 59 (11%) were 50 or older. Older women were more likely than younger women to live alone (24% vs 11%), to have not completed high school (63% vs 37%), to be tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while hospitalized (51% vs 32%), and to have never used a condom before HIV diagnosis (86% vs 67%). Health care providers need to recognize HIV risk behavior in older women, encourage testing, and promote condom use.