Background:

Implementation of epidemiological surveillance systems is required to design a programme for HIV epidemic. The focus of this article is to report the HIV-AIDS incidence and age of infection evolution in Extremadura, during the period 1980-2018.

Methods:

A retrospective, descriptive study of anual incidence of HIV-infection new diagnosis and AIDS diagnosis in Extremadura, between 1981 and 2018, including both years. Case definitions were considered according to national surveillance protocol.

Results:

By the end of 2018 the consolidated HIV-AIDS epidemiological surveillance system had registered 3,039 cases, which 1,954 cases were considered incidents. In the nineties the highest incidents rates per hundred thousand inhabitants of HIV infection (10.45 in 1990) and AIDS (13.57 in 1996) were reached, decreasing continuously from 2000, being in this year of 4.66 for HIV infection and 3.54 in AIDS. The cumulative incidence of the period was four times higher in men compared to women. The average age at diagnosis increased in recent years in HIV infection (27.80 years in 1990 compared to 37.32 years in 2018) and in AIDS disease (30 years in 1990 compared to 36 years in 2018). A parallel evolution of the diagnoses of HIV infection and of AIDS was observed, with a lag of 4 years coinciding with the beginning of the series, reducing since 2005 by approximately half the diagnoses of AIDS.

Conclusions:

In Extremadura the HIV infection evolution was similar to national available data. At the beginning of the period of study almost all the HIV cases soon after turned to AIDS but finally the AIDS diagnoses tended to decrease due to early and effective treatments.

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