We sought to understand the social construction of aging in a clinic-based population, with and without HIV, to address gaps in care for older individuals living with HIV in Zambia.
Our exploratory qualitative study included 36 in-depth interviews with clinic clients and four focus group discussions with 36 professional and lay healthcare workers providing services to the clients. We identified themes based on social construction theory.
At the individual level, aging was multidimensional, perceived both as an achievement in the HIV era and as a period of cognitive, physical, and economic decline. In social interactions, older individuals were often stereotyped and treated as helpless, poor, and “witches.” Those living with HIV faced the additional stigma of being labeled as promiscuous. Some of the participants living without HIV refused to take daily medication for non-communicable diseases to avoid being mistaken for taking antiretroviral therapy for HIV. Older individuals wanted quality healthcare and family support to address the intersectional stigma of aging, poverty, and chronic illness.
Multifaceted interventions are required to combat age-related prejudice, intersectional stigma, and discriminatory practices, particularly for people living with HIV.