Wong, Hoi Yee and Rajasuriar, Reena and Wong, Pui Li and Lee, Yew Kong (2024) ``I suppose in our culture, old means no sex'': PLWH and healthcare provider views on factors influencing late HIV testing and diagnosis among older adults in Malaysia. AIDS Care, 36 (9). pp. 1310-1324. ISSN 0954-0121, DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2024.2331220.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
The proportion of new HIV diagnoses among older adults aged >= 50 years continues to rise. Older adults are at higher risk of late diagnosis which is associated with higher treatment complexity and poorer health outcomes. Few studies in the Asia-Pacific region have explored factors contributing to late presentation and diagnosis in this population. Thus, our study aimed to explore factors influencing late HIV diagnosis among older adults >= 50 years in Malaysia. We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 older adults newly diagnosed with HIV (OPLWH) and focus group discussions with seven healthcare providers (HCPs) from different specialties in an academic tertiary hospital in Malaysia. All sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Three main themes related to late diagnosis among OPLWH emerged: (1) challenge in recognizing HIV symptoms among older persons, (2) older persons and HCPs having low index of suspicion of HIV and (3) poor acceptance of HIV testing among older persons due to perceived personal and social identities. HCPs often missed HIV symptoms and these collectively culminated in OPLWH experiencing complex diagnostic journeys resulting in late HIV diagnosis. To reduce delays in HIV diagnosis, strategies are needed to improve HIV knowledge and risk perception among both older adults and HCPs.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Funders: | L'Oreal Malaysia for Women in Science (PV007-2018) |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | HIV; late testing; diagnosis; older adults; Malaysia; SDG 3: Good health and well-being |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Medicine > Medicine Department Faculty of Medicine > Primary Care Medicine Department Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA) |
| Depositing User: | Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Jan 2025 07:43 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Jan 2025 07:43 |
| URI: | http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/47013 |
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