A new study suggests that HIV testing for people ages 55 to 74 would be cost-effective, MedPage Today reports (medpagetoday.com, 6/17). The study was published in the June 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine HIV testing for all Americans between the ages of 13 and 64. However, Gillian Sanders, PhD, of Duke University notes that some Americans remain sexually active from 65 onward and should be tested accordingly. According to the study authors, the benefits of testing seniors potentially outweighs the costs of testing and counseling.

“All of us need to remember that age doesn’t protect anyone from HIV,” Dr. Sanders told MedPage Today. “You’re as vulnerable at 60 as you are at 16.”