Women aged 50 to 60 are being urged to practice safe sex following a rise in new HIV cases in heterosexual groups.
As World Aids Day is celebrated, campaigners say women in this age group may be at greater risk of contracting the virus as some do not use condoms.
The Blue Sky Trust, a sexual health charity working in the north-east of England and Cumbria, says it is seeing an increasing number of older women seeking support, while a parliamentary committee has noted a rise in the number of women in all age groups contracting the disease through sex with men.
Foundation members are also turning to social media to combat misinformation and raise awareness about living safely with HIV.
A recent report from the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee described the rise in the number of heterosexual women of all ages contracting the disease as “alarming”.
The committee said that compared with 2019, the number of new diagnoses in 2024 was 26% higher in women infected through sex with men.
It recommended “expanding opt-out testing programs” in settings such as women's health centers, as well as “local government-led campaigns” targeting at-risk populations, which also include “black African and Asian communities.”
Julianne Mitchell, from the Blue Sky Trust, said women in perimenopause or menopause were another risk group because they “think they can't get pregnant” and have unprotected sex.
She urged them to think about sexually transmitted diseases and infections, including HIV, and to use condoms.
Treating HIV means people with the virus can lead healthy, normal lives, unlike in the 1980s and 90s when infection was often fatal.
The drugs suppress the virus and prevent its transmission, which is known as U=U, which stands for “undetectable = untransmittable.”
However, the Blue Sky Trust said stigma around the disease persists and it has heard of cases where people think HIV can be contracted by sharing cutlery or toilet seats.
In fact, it is usually spread through unprotected sex.
Nigel Bullock, a Newcastle-based trust member, posted messages on social media aimed at countering misinformation about the virus and said he was pleasantly surprised by the response.
“I sat down and wrote a long post at eight o’clock on a Saturday evening, which I posted on Facebook and Instagram.
“I thought I'd check them tomorrow morning and then deal with whatever comes back.
“To my surprise, there was no hate, no negativity, no one said anything that made me feel terrible.
“It was really positive: people were learning, people were asking questions.”
