Abstract #50  -  Coping with Ageing and HIV/AIDS: A qualitative study of the experiences of older HIV positive gay men living in London, UK.
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Dr Gareth Owen - Peninsula School of Medicine, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth
Additional Authors:  Dr Mythili  Jayasundaram, Dr  Jose Catalan,
Aim: To conduct a qualitative pilot study to identify key issues which impact on the experience of ageing in HIV positive gay men living in London.
Method / Issue: Life-story narrative interviews were conducted with 10 HIV positive gay men whose ages ranged between 50 and 77. The interviews were based around one broad question to elicit a narrative of ageing with HIV, which was then further explored in collaboration with the interviewer. After transcription the interviews were sent back to the participants who were invited to contribute to an on-going analytic dialogue about their experiences in conjunction with the research team.
Results / Comments: The following themes emerged as significant to the experience of ageing with HIV in our pilot sample: • Accumulated losses through the history of the HIV epidemic. • Issues of dependence and independence. • Becoming ‘expert patients’. • Finding ways of contributing to society. • Intimacy, relationships, and social networks. • Issues of identity and community belonging. • Concerns about loneliness, ageism and social isolation. • Concerns about physical and mental deterioration. • Concerns about financial and housing security. • Concerns about the provision of appropriate residential care.
Discussion: The population of older HIV positive people in the United Kingdom is increasing. The experiences of gay men in this study highlight a number of issues which can inform the development of HIV support services for older people. One striking theme to emerge, is that some older gay men have experienced an accumulation of loses in the history of the HIV epidemic which continue to impact on the experience of coping with HIV in later life. The issues raised by this preliminary study need to be incorporated in further research to investigate the experience of ageing in the wider HIV positive population.
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