Am I turning into a curmudgeon? (Dictionary definition for all those out there who don’t read: “a person, especially an old man, who is easily annoyed or angered and who often complains?)  They say our character is partly the product of our life experience, partly genetic, partly upbringing. But if you are approaching curmudgeonary (curmudgeonhood?) how much of it is shaped by HIV? Does the virus infiltrate not only our body but our minds, turning us sweet and patient things, there to gi

This article previously appeared in HIV Update, a publication of aidsmap, here.  Several studies have shown that, thanks to modern HIV treatment, the life expectancy of many people living with HIV in richer countries is now close to normal. But this primarily applies to people who are diagnosed and begin HIV treatment with a relatively high CD4 cell count, before significant damage has been done to their immune system. What about the life expectancy of older people living with HIV? In some

This article by Michael Carter first appeared in aidsmap.com here.   Geriatric conditions were common in middle-aged and older HIV-positive adults in a San Francisco clinic, investigators report in the June 1st edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Common conditions included pre-frailty, difficulties with activities of daily living and cognitive impairment. A quarter of patients reported falls or urinary incontinence. The authors were concerned that these condition

This morning I was pouring my Honey Nut Cheerios from the box into a Tupperware container. All of them wouldn’t fit, so I decided to pour the leftovers into a bowl. I left them on the counter to eat later. I had just poured my first coffee and wanted to savoir it first. Later I went to the kitchen to get them and a family member commented, “did you forget about them?” Oooh, what a cheap shot, hinting at the fact I’m getting forgetful because of my age. So I snapped back.  I informe

This article by Jon Jay Read first appeared in POZ magazine here.  Yet another of my friends has gone off his HIV medications. I ask, but he doesn’t know why, exactly; or maybe it’s just that he can’t find words more specific than these: “The good news is, AIDS didn’t kill me. The bad news is, AIDS didn’t kill me.” Twenty-five years with the virus, and for some reason he’s giving up now. It’s obvious to anyone paying attention that something other than HIV is plaguing man

 “But time makes you bolder   Even children get older  And I'm getting older too” Landslide, Fleetwood Mac Earlier this month, in response to a request, I went to the University of Ontario campus in Oshawa, Ontario to record a video interview centered around myself talking about HIV and aging issues. Said the request “I am developing a new online course called "Perspectives in Aging" here at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Here's an overall description

This article by David Fawcett, Ph.D., L.C.S.W. originally appeared in TheBody.com here.  I recently passed a major milestone: a big, round-numbered birthday that, frankly, I never expected to reach. It was odd to arrive at this point in my life because, having lived with HIV for over thirty years, I had good reason to suspect that I would not celebrate this passage, or for that matter, birthdays that occurred decades earlier.  When I was infected in my twenties I imagined that the pulse of

Earlier this month, I was honored to be invited to attend the screening of a film entitled “Even Me”.  I was first told about the film through a friend of mine. She and I share the same doctor and, like me, she is someone who is on the front lines, deep in the trenches in the battle against HIV and AIDS in populations where it is needed most.  I was so excited that my friend was featured in this film. She’s someone I truly admire and respect as well as someone who fully understands th

The authors of this study, reported online June 26 in the journal Nature Genetics, claim that the cellular aging effects they found could help explain why some people with HIV are experiencing age-related diseases earlier than HIV-negative people.During the past decade, researchers have increasingly found that a host of diseases and conditions typically seen in the elderly are occurring in HIV-positive people at a younger age. These diseases, which range from cardiovascular disease to early bo

Wayne Bristow speaking at Guelph conference Recently, the AIDS Committee of Guelph and Wellington County held its first conference on LGBTQ Aging. I say first because they hope to make this a yearly project.  When I was asked to sit on a panel and talk about my personal experiences with the healthcare system I seized the chance to be a part of it. (The other members of the panel were a lesbian and a transgendered woman.)  We were asked four quest: here are the answers that I gav