Predictors of mortality among women with AIDS in Illinois, USA.

Population-based surveillance data can help guide research priorities and plan programmes to prevent death among women with AIDS. We describe the predictors of mortality among women diagnosed with AIDS in Illinois, USA. Using the HIV/AIDS Reporting System), we identified 1944 adult women who were diagnosed with AIDS during January 1999-December 2004. The proportion of women who died within one year of diagnosis of AIDS declined from 97% in 1999 to 12% in 2005. Multivariate analysis indicated that age >or=45 years, intravenous drug use, diagnosis of clinical AIDS and hospitalization at the time of AIDS diagnosis were significant predictors of death among women with AIDS. The number of women who died soon after diagnosis with AIDS declined substantially. Nevertheless, prevention programmes designed to improve survival among women with AIDS should emphasize early diagnosis and referral for care in an effort to prevent first diagnosis with clinical AIDS during hospitalization.