In the 17 years from the start of my career in 2008 to today, I have encountered approximately several dozen HIV-infected patients in my outpatient clinic. Among them, two elderly patients left a deep impression on me.

The first elderly patient was from when I had just started working. The patient had condyloma acuminatum (genital warts) in the perianal area. I ordered HIV and syphilis screenings for him and performed treatment on the same day. The warts in the patient's perianal area were quite extensive, and there was a moderate amount of bleeding. Although the patient was frail, he was very resilient and highly cooperative during the treatment process. However, the next day, the Hospital Infection Control Office notified me that the patient's preliminary HIV screening was positive. One week later, the CDC confirmatory test returned positive. Considering the patient's physical condition and the high probability that he had already progressed to AIDS, he was referred to a chest hospital and a specialized infectious disease hospital for further diagnosis and treatment. I later heard from a colleague at the CDC that the patient returned to his hometown and passed away less than a year later.

The second elderly patient visited me about two or three months ago, accompanied by his daughter, to address a cyst on his head that was causing pain and infection. When I stood up to examine it, I sensed the cyst had already suppurated. I put on disposable gloves, and as soon as I applied pressure to the cyst, a burst of pus and bloody fluid oozed out. At that moment, the patient's daughter cautioned me, "Doctor, please be careful; my father has AIDS." I replied, "It's alright, I'm wearing gloves." I then continued communicating with the family and the patient, prescribed medications, and instructed the patient on how to administer the treatment.

According to the latest report from the 9th National Conference on HIV/AIDS, as of the end of 2023, there were a total of 1.29 million reported living HIV/AIDS cases in China. In 2023, there were 110,500 newly reported cases, with sexual transmission accounting for 98.5%. Furthermore, the number of infected individuals aged ≥50 rose from 32,850 in 2015 to 51,856 in 2022. In 2022, the proportion of infected individuals aged ≥50 was 48.20%, and those aged ≥60 accounted for 25.1%. The elderly have become a high-risk population. Given this situation, it appears necessary to conduct syphilis and HIV screening when elderly patients are hospitalized. This allows for early detection and treatment, which also helps in extending life expectancy.

If you or your family members are troubled by these diseases, you can visit the dermatology department of an offline hospital for a consultation, or you can seek more information about the condition through online consultations.