Objectives: This article describes recent trends in AIDS among US Hispanics.
Methods: Incidence rates were calculated from AIDS surveillance data for persons diagnosed from 1991 through 1996. Increases in the number of cases among Hispanics were calculated by linear regression.
Results: Of the 415,864 persons diagnosed with AIDS from 1991 through 1996, 19% were Hispanic. Among Hispanics with AIDS, 67% were born in the United States or Puerto Rico. The relative risk (RR) of AIDS for Hispanics compared with Whites was highest for women (RR = 7.0), followed by children (RR = 6.2) and men (RR = 2.8). Increases in the number of cases were higher among foreign-born Hispanics.
Conclusions: An understanding of which Hispanic subgroups are at greatest risk for HIV infection is important for prevention efforts.