Objective: To describe temporal trends in AIDS incidence and mortality in an Italian region.
Design: Descriptive study based on incidence and mortality registries.
Setting: Tuscany.
Main outcome measures: AIDS incidence and mortality annual truncated rates, age-standardized; joinpoint analysis highlighted significant changes in the temporal trends.
Results: AIDS incidence rose until 1995 and then decreased by 30% every year; AIDS mortality rose in men until 1995 and in women until 1996, then decreased by 35.9% and 49.7% every year respectively. Differences in AIDS mortality have been found between the residents of the coastline municipalities and those of other municipalities.
Conclusion: Differences in the temporal trends may mirror differences in risk group composition and in health-care access.