City officials say around 75% of New Yorkers aged 40 plus and over one-third 50 and older are HIV-positive.

A city health department report says, while younger adults are often associated with HIV/AIDS and the behaviours that spread the disease, accounting for most new infections, 17% of New York City's new HIV diagnoses occur in older adults annually.

However, the number of HIV-positive New Yorkers aged 50 plus has been growing, mainly because people with human immunodeficiency virus are living longer.

According to the report, in 2008 women aged 50 plus accounted for 22% of the city’s female HIV diagnoses, up from 17% in 2004.

Dr. Thomas Farley, the Health Commissioner of New York City making a statement said like all New Yorkers, older New Yorkers risk HIV if they have unprotected sex or inject drugs. All patients, not just the younger ones should receive counselling on HIV prevention, with the health providers also making testing a routine part of healthcare.

Eighty-seven percent of New York City’s young adults are diagnosed when they still have HIV, before the infection progresses to AIDS. However, 38% of older adults diagnosed later, already have AIDS at their diagnosis.

The Obama Administration’s HIV/AIDS strategy released Wednesday, met with mixed reviews.

The plan calls for greater access to quality health care, increased HIV / AIDS prevention education, including the stopping of discrimination that often arises within the Healthcare and public communities.

The AIDS Project Los Angeles supports the national HIV/AIDS strategy, believing the plan will help improve the fight against and the prevention of the HIV/AIDS virus, America has been fighting for 30 years.