HIV rates climbing among over-50s in UK and Europe, researchers warn

Older people more likely to be infected through heterosexual sex and to have more advanced disease when it is finally diagnosed, new study reveals

HIV rates are climbing in the over-50s in the UK and across Europe, while the rate of new infections among younger people is dropping, according to new research which warns that the epidemic may be taking a new direction.

The study, from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Sweden, says that older people are most likely to be infected through heterosexual sex. They are also likely to have more advanced disease - which will be harder to treat and could be life-threatening - when it is finally picked up.