Publications
Chapter: The Challenge of Ableism Among Older Adults with HIV
2026
Johnson, C. K., Kaufman, J. E., & Brennan Ing, M. (2026). The challenge of ableism among older adults with HIV. In C. M. Lepkowsky (Ed.), Systemic ableism: Critical perspectives on disability, equity, and access (pp. 215-234). Nova Publishers. https://doi.org/10.52305/QTWP6822
Cicely Johnson, Jennie Kaufman and Mark Brennan Ing
Abstract
When HIV was first identified, a diagnosis was considered a death sentence. Now, antiretroviral treatments have allowed people with HIV to grow old. Clinical care for older adults with HIV is challenging, however, due to their experiencing multimorbidity at younger ages than their peers without HIV. Chronic immune activation and inflammation in people with HIV have been linked to impaired functional ability, but in the context of HIV, disability fluctuates. People who have lived with HIV for years may see disability as a permanent designation that does not accurately describe their condition. The concept of ableism, as a tentacle of oppression to wrongfully determine the value of an individual, heightens challenges and complexities for older adults with HIV. This chapter explores this interaction and its significant implications.
Pages 215–234 in Charles M. Lepkowsky (Ed.), Systemic Ableism: Critical Perspectives on Disability, Equity, and Access (2026). Nova Publishers.