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Cynthia Louis-Juste

Cynthia Louis-Juste has worked with underserved and uninsured community patients to understand health disparities; conducted research on communication/cultural competency at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, through the Greater New York Hospital Association; and conducted community needs assessments alongside Morris Height Health Center in Bronx, New York, during her CDC-funded internship at Columbia University.

Cynthia graduated with a bachelor of science in public health with a minor in sociology and a master of public health with a concentration in health policy and management and certificate in health disparities from the University of Albany. Some of her health interests include addressing women's health issues, health disparities within underprivileged populations, and tackling health strategy and operations within healthcare organizations.

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The Connection Between HIV and Mental Health in the Older Adult

The Connection Between HIV and Mental Health in the Older Adult

How living with HIV can affect your mental health

Created With Support
hiv

infographic: click to view the pdf

Good Mental Health Is Essential to Living Well With HIV

Living with HIV can result in negative feelings or thoughts. In a national sample of HIV-positive adults:

- Nearly 2 out of 3 people said that it is difficult to tell people about their HIV status

- 1 out of 3 people reported feeling guilty or ashamed of their HIV status

- Nearly 1 in 4 people said their HIV status makes them feel dirty or worthless

Mental Health Issues

Aging with HIV not only affects physical health but also can have major mental health effects, including increased rates of:

  • Depression and anxiety, which often go undiagnosed and untreated
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — 30% of women living with HIV experience PTSD
  • Grief from losing friends and loved ones to HIV/AIDS and from being rejected by family or friends because of their HIV status

Discrimination is a key barrier to accessing care. In a recent national study, people aging with HIV experienced stigma (28%), homophobia (19%), ageism (17%) and racism (10%) when accessing care.

Stigma Is a Problem

It’s common for older people with HIV to feel stigma, which has a negative effect on a person’s quality of life and self-image.

Stigma may lead to:

· Avoiding healthcare or support services

· Not taking medicine because of the need for secrecy

· Not disclosing their HIV status

· Living in denial about their HIV status

· Experiencing social isolation and loneliness

Older adults living with HIV may experience extra stigma because they are labeled by both age and HIV status.

Reach out to get the care and support you need

- Find a counselor or therapist to help you deal with any negative feelings about your HIV status

- Join support groups to connect with other people living with HIV

- Start treatment as early as possible and take medicine as prescribed to keep you (and your partner) healthy

This educational resource was created with support from Merck.


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Age is just a number. But it’s an important factor when it comes to your bone health.

Everyone loses bone mass as we age, but women are at higher risk for osteoporosis — a condition that causes bones to become thin and weak — compared to men. With osteoporosis, something as simple as a sneeze can cause bones to break and seriously affect your quality of life and overall health.

Osteoporosis gets worse over time, but early management of your bone health can help keep your bones strong.

Thankfully, a simple imaging test called a DEXA scan can tell you everything you need to know about your bone health.

We know it can be a pain to add another test to the long list of health check-ups. But talk to your healthcare provider (HCP) about a DEXA scan if you have risk factors such as low body weight, a family history of osteoporosis, a history of fractures or health conditions that may impact bone health. And all women 65 and older should get a DEXA scan to screen for osteoporosis.

Here’s what you need to know about DEXA scans and what your test results mean for your health.

Read: A Guide to Medical Imaging for Women >>

What is a DEXA scan and what does it measure?

A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan looks at bone density. The non-invasive test uses a high- and low-energy X-ray beam to measure calcium and other minerals in your bones.

DEXA scans have the ability to show brittle, weak and thinning bones among other changes, which can help diagnose, manage and treat health conditions like osteoporosis.

What is a T-score?

Your DEXA scan results are given as scores: T-scores or Z-scores.

If you’re postmenopause, your results will be a T-score.

The T-score is the difference between your bone mineral density and the number zero, which represents the bone mineral density of a healthy young adult.

What does a T-score mean?

Basically, the lower your T-score, the higher your risk of breaking a bone and bone fractures.

A T-score of:

  • -1 or higher is normal bone density
  • -1 to -2.4 is low bone density, which means you may be at risk for osteoporosis
  • -2.5 or less means you may have osteoporosis

What is a Z-score?

For people in perimenopause and younger, a Z-score is used to compare bone mineral density to people who are the same age, weight, sex, race and ethnicity.

What does a Z-score mean?

A Z-score of -2 or less means you have lower bone density than other people your age.

A low score could mean that you are losing bone mass more quickly than others your age or that you have osteoporosis that’s caused by a health condition or medications.

What to do if your T-score or Z-score is low?

If your T-score or Z-score is low, the first thing to do is talk to your HCP about your results and discuss steps moving forward that can help prevent further bone loss.

Your treatment plan may include taking prescription medications or follow-up testing to confirm a diagnosis or determine what’s causing low bone density. Depending on your results, your HCP may refer you to an osteoporosis specialist.

Also, lifestyle factors such as exercise and weight training and adding calcium and vitamin D to your diet may be recommended to help prevent loss.

Read: What Is Osteoporosis and How Do You Treat It? >>

How often should you get a DEXA scan?

Most people who are at moderate risk for osteoporosis should get a DEXA scan every three to five years. And people who are at high risk for osteoporosis should get a scan every two years.

Depending on your score and treatment plan, your HCP may want to do a follow-up DEXA test sooner than what’s recommended to see how your treatment plan is working.

Either way, understanding your T-score or Z-score is a win for Team Bone Health.

This educational resource was created with support from UCB, a HealthyWomen Corporate Advisory Council member.

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Medically reviewed by Dr. Sharon D. Allison-Ottey, MD