Gordon Clay here. This Sunday is Grandparents Day, so today's topic is directed to Grandparents and all other adults over 50.

Based on estimates released by the National Institute on Health, persons 50 and older account for about 11% of all known AIDS cases. While the number of AIDS cases reported annually among young persons is declining, we are now seeing an increase among older adults. In a 12 month period, newly reported cases among 50 and older adults increased by 12.6% to almost 63M cases.

Heterosexual transmission of HIV is steadily increasing in older persons as well, and a study of hospitalized HIV infected patients, 60 and older, found that 38% acquired their infection through sexual intercourse.

A number of elderly have progressed to full blown AIDS due to the lack of early interventions and proper diagnosis, making medical treatment much more difficult, both because of the late diagnosis and other factors related to age.

It is believed that cases among older people may be under-reported, as HIV symptoms and infections may coincide with other diseases associated with aging, and thus be overlooked. AIDS related dementia is often mis-diagnosed as Alzheimers and early HIV symptoms such as fatigue and weight loss may be dismissed as a normal part of Aging.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said HIV testing should become about as common as a cholesterol check. However, anonoymous testing is no longer available in Curry County regardless of your age. It's time to change that.

For more information check Kaiser Permanente's web site, kff.org/hivaids.