[The recognition of AIDS as a disabling pathology among the members of the Special Regime of the Sea in the province of Cádiz]. / Incorporación del SIDA como patología invalidante en afiliados al Régimen Especial del Mar en la provincia de Cádiz.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the year in which AIDS appeared as a cause of permanent disability among the members of the Special Sea Regime (REM), and to evaluate the clinical, social and labour characteristics of AIDS patients between 1987 and 1996. DESIGN: Descriptive study of series of cases. SETTING: Cádiz Province, 1987 to 1996. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with a disability proposal report from the Provincial Medical Inspectorate of the ISM (Fleet Social Institute) in Cádiz province between 1987 and 1996. MAIN RESULTS: AIDS appeared as the cause of permanent disability for the first time in 1988. 1994 and 1995 were the years with most cases. Over 90% of the reports of permanent disability analysed, in which AIDS appeared as the cause, belonged to workers professionally classed as sailors. AIDS is a highly disabling disease and accounted for 13.26% of all absolute permanent disabilities. The risk conduct of patients for whom a disability proposal was made was rarely recorded in the reports, which made it impossible to specify it in most cases. CONCLUSIONS: There must be health education and preventive counselling of REM members who attend the Maritime Health Service for their compulsory pre-embarkation check-up.