Background
With age, people with HIV (PWH) may face higher rates of physical comorbidities, psychosocial challenges and sexual health problems, all of which can impact quality of life and ART adherence. However, research on health among ageing PWH remains limited. This study aimed to examine self-reported physical, psychosocial and sexual health outcomes among people aged ≥50 years with and without HIV in Denmark.
Methods
We used data from a nationwide cross-sectional study examining different aspects of health among PWH in Denmark. Participants included cisgendered PWH aged ≥50 years recruited across Denmark, and a comparison group of people without HIV from a nationally representative cohort study. Data were collected from 2021 to 2022 via an electronic survey including several validated patient-reported outcome measures. Sex-stratified logistic regression models examined associations between HIV and physical, psychosocial and sexual health outcomes, adjusted for sociodemographic and other confounding factors.
Results
A total of 322 men and 67 women with HIV were included and compared to 15,548 men and 13,926 women without HIV. Key sociodemographic differences included fewer PWH in relationships and more PWH with non-Danish parentage. Physical health analyses showed that HIV was associated with increased odds of liver diseases (men: aOR 2.43 [95% CI: 1.08-5.46]; women: aOR 5.23 [95% CI: 1.51-18.09]), cardiovascular disease in men (aOR 1.52 [95% CI: 1.06-2.17]), and hypertension (aOR 2.14 [95% CI: 1.02-4.49]) and osteoporosis (aOR 5.56 [95% CI: 1.63-19.04]) in women. Among men, HIV was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (aOR 1.63 [95% CI: 1.07-2.49]) and anxiety (aOR 1.42 [95% CI: 1.00-2.04]). For women with HIV, suicidal tendencies (aOR 1.92 [95% CI: 1.03-3.59]), loneliness (aOR 2.02 [95% CI: 1.15-3.55]) and domestic abuse experiences (aOR 2.38 [95% CI: 1.28-4.42]) were more common. Sexual health analysis showed that men with HIV were more likely to report orgasmic dysfunction (aOR 2.71 [95% CI: 1.51-4.87]) and erectile dysfunction (aOR 2.09 [95% CI: 1.28-3.40]), while lubrication dysfunction (aOR 3.56 [95% CI: 1.25-10.17]) and genital pain dysfunction (aOR 3.98 [95% CI: 1.39-11.37]) were more common among women with HIV.
Conclusions
PWH aged ≥50 years in Denmark face significantly more physical, psychosocial and sexual health challenges compared to peers without HIV. Clinical attention to these disparities is crucial for improving the overall health of ageing PWH.