Objective To examine annual number of first registered human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases aged ≥ 50 years and its changing trend in Hubei province during 2011 – 2020 for providing evidence to the development of targeted strategies on HIV/AIDS epidemic prevention.
Methods The data on 9 224 HIV/AIDS cases aged ≥ 50 years first registered in Hubei province during 2011 – 2020 were extracted from the Information System for AIDS Prevention and Control of China′s Disease Prevention and Control Information System and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The changing trend of annual number of the HIV/AIDS cases was analyzed with joinpoint regression model.
Results The 9 224 cases aged ≥ 50 years accounted for 35.04% of all the HIV/AIDS cases (n = 26 324) first registered in the province during the 10-year period. The annual number of the cases ≥ 50 years showed a significant increasing trend in the period (Z = 21.01, P < 0.001). The results of joinpoint regression analysis revealed gender- and infection route-different changing trajectories for the annual number of first registered cases aged ≥ 50 years during the period: (1) increasing from 2011 to 2017 for all the male and the female cases, with the annual percentage change (APC) of 24.68 and 23.91; (2) decreasing from 2017 to 2020 for the male cases (APC = – 1.93); (3) increasing slowly from 2017 to 2022 for the female cases (APC = 2.25); (4) increasing rapidly from 2011 to 2016 (APC = 29.31) but slowly from 2016 to 2020 (APC = 2.76) for the male cases sexually infected; (5) increasing from 2011 to 2017 (APC = 26.12) but decreasing from 2017 to 2022 (APC = – 6.34) for the male cases infected homosexually; (6) increasing obviously from 2011 to 2016 (APC = 28.77) and the increase slowing down from 2016 to 2022 (APC = 3.73) for the male cases infected heterosexually; (7) increasing from 2011 to 2017 (APC = 26.01) and the increase slowing down from 2017 to 2020 (APC = 1.47) for the female cases with sexually transmitted infection; and (8) decreasing from 2011 to 2020 for the cases with non sexually transmitted infection or unknown transmission routes (APC = – 25.66).
Conclusion The annual number of first registered HIV/AIDS cases aged ≥ 50 years increased from 2011 to 2020 in Hubei province and the majority of the cases were infected due to heterosexual transmission. The results suggest that targeted interventions should be developed for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the elderly population.
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