March 2016

According to the BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program data, over half of HIV positive individuals in British Columbia, who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), are over 50 years of age. Each year in BC, a small number of people over the age of 60 are newly diagnosed with HIV, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control. These two groups of older people face different challenges and health care needs, and both groups challenge common cultural perceptions about ageing, vitality, quality of life and sexuality.

Food security is very important for people living with HIV. An individual who has unstable access to housing, employment or food may not be able to access their HIV treatment consistently.

The BC-CfE regularly produces a fact sheet as part of the HIV Pulse series in order to provide comprehensive and concise updates on HIV/AIDS-related findings to public health and health care professionals. The focus of the fact sheet series is Treatment as Prevention¨ and its implementation in the province of British Columbia. The BC-CfE regularly produces a fact sheet as part of the HIV Pulse series in order to provide comprehensive and concise updates on HIV/AIDS-related findings to public health and health care professionals. The focus of the fact sheet series is Treatment as Prevention¨ and its implementation in the province of British Columbia. The latest HIV Pulse gives an overview of the measurements provided by the BC HIV Cascade of Care.

Led by researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), with the help of many co-investigators and collaborators, the SHAPE Study aims to determine if the scale up of HIV testing and treatment through the province’s STOP HIV/AIDS¨ Program is able to address pervasive inequities in treatment access, uptake and success among persons living with HIV.