THE REPORTING OF HIV AIDS DEATHS IN WOMEN

Objective This study was undertaken to assess the completeness of vital statistics and case reports of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in measuring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related mortality in women 15 through 44 years of age. Methods. We used vital records to determine the number of deaths attributed to HIV infection and excess deaths due to causes that have increased in tandem with the HIV epidemic. Results. In 1988, among women 15 through 44 years of age, there were 1365 deaths with HIV infection listed as the underlying cause, 202 deaths with HIV infection listed as an associated cause, and 149 excess deaths due to conditions highly associated with HIV infection (subtotal = 1716). In addition, there were 780 excess deaths due to causes that may be related to HIV infection or illicit drug use (maximum estimate of HIV-related deaths = 2496). Of the deaths that occurred in 1988, 1532 were reported through AIDS surveillance (1668 deaths when adjusted for reporting delays). Conclusions. Underlying-cause-of-death vital records and AIDS surveillance identified 55% to 80% and 67% to 97%, respectively, of HIV-related deaths in women 15 through 44 years of age in 1988. The wide ranges of these estimates reflect the potential role of both HIV infection and drug use in contributing to excess mortality.