BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: AIDS-related mortality has been classically associated with lowest socioeconomic groups. In Spain, the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is delivered without cost; therefore this treatment it should have reduced the great social inequalities in AIDS-mortality seen before the HAART era. This study aims to assess the absolute and relative socioeconomic differences in AIDS-mortality in the Region of Madrid after the introduction of HAART. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Two twenty-months cohorts were created, in 1996 and 2001, which correspond to an early and late HAART-era respectively. Absolute and relative differences in the AIDS-mortality rates were calculated for both periods using generalized linear models. RESULTS: Absolute differences between the lowest and highest education level AIDS-related deaths decreased around 70% in the 2001 cohort. Those with lowest education level achieved the highest reduction rate, hence relative differences descended as well. CONCLUSIONS: HAART has had an essential role in decreasing social inequalities in AIDS-mortality.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:AIDS-related mortality has been classically associated with lowest socioeconomic groups. In Spain, the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is delivered without cost; therefore this treatment it should have reduced the great social inequalities in AIDS-mortality seen before the HAART era. This study aims to assess the absolute and relative socioeconomic differences in AIDS-mortality in the Region of Madrid after the introduction of HAART. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Two twenty-months cohorts were created, in 1996 and 2001, which correspond to an early and late HAART-era respectively. Absolute and relative differences in the AIDS-mortality rates were calculated for both periods using generalized linear models. RESULTS: Absolute differences between the lowest and highest education level AIDS-related deaths decreased around 70% in the 2001 cohort. Those with lowest education level achieved the highest reduction rate, hence relative differences descended as well. CONCLUSIONS: HAART has had an essential role in decreasing social inequalities in AIDS-mortality.