An 80-year-old woman living alone in a rural village in Korea has been diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, garnering attention from the medical community. Worldwide, cases of HIV diagnosis after the age of 80 are rare, and it is reported that this woman had no sexual contact for 20 years after the death of her husband.
On the 7th, according to the international journal Clinicalcase reports, medical staff at a hospital in Korea reported the case of Ms. A (85), who was diagnosed as HIV positive in a blood test conducted for chemotherapy for lymphoma last year.
The report stated that the route of Ms. A's HIV infection is a complete mystery. After her husband died of heart disease over 20 years ago, Ms. A has lived alone in the countryside. It is said that she has had no sexual relations since then.
According to the family, the likelihood of Ms. A being infected with HIV is low because she underwent several procedures and tests while her husband was hospitalized at a university hospital for heart disease.
Moreover, it is known that Ms. A had no experiences of surgery, hospitalization for HIV, blood transfusions, injectable drug use, acupuncture, or tattoos until her lymphoma diagnosis. This indicates that she was not exposed to situations that could lead to infection. Both of her two sons, who live separately, were also tested negative for HIV.
Despite this, medical professionals estimated that the HIV infection likely occurred several years ago. The reason for this assertion was Ms. A's high number of immune cells (CD4) in the blood and a high viral load.
Medical staff believe there may be experiences of procedures or blood transfusions, or sexual relations that cannot be confirmed solely through interviews with Ms. A and her family.
However, medical staff pointed out that it is important to focus on the fact that there is an absence of HIV diagnosis in elderly individuals. They noted that "the bias that dismisses the sexual activities of the elderly or fails to regard HIV as a disease affecting seniors can significantly delay diagnosis," adding that "social isolation and lower health information literacy likely compound the delay in diagnosis."
Currently, most HIV tests are recommended for individuals aged 13 to 64, and there are virtually no screening guidelines targeting the elderly or statistics on infections among those aged 80 and over.
Experts highlighted that HIV testing must be considered in elderly individuals based on clinical circumstances and emphasized that proactive screening is necessary, especially for seniors with overlapping social vulnerabilities.
The medical staff at the hospital stated, "The misconception that HIV treatment will be less effective just because of age is a misunderstanding," adding that "Ms. A responded well to antiretroviral therapy, and her immune levels have gradually recovered."
HIV is the virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). An HIV-infected individual becomes an AIDS patient when their immune deficiency becomes severe, leading to complications.