[Changes of knowledge of HIV-positivity before development of AIDS among Danish patients with AIDS 1988-1997]

We describe the changes in the period of knowledge of HIV positivity before AIDS in the light of the new anti-retroviral treatment regime among all notified Danish AIDS patients 1988-1997. Overall, 29% of the patients were diagnosed with AIDS less than four months after the first positive HIV test, a proportion that decreased through 1988-1995, but then increased. However, the proportion with over five years between positive HIV test and AIDS diagnosis increased from 9% in 1988-1990 to 48% in 1994-1995. A similar trend was seen among men, who have sex with men (MSM). Relatively more heterosexually infected than MSM had less than four months between first positive HIV test and AIDS (44% vs. 25%, p < 0.00001). Among persons known as HIV infected less than four months before AIDS, 51% were notified with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, a proportion that was 25% (p < 0.00001) among those known over five years before AIDS. We conclude, that the proportion of Danish AIDS patients known as HIV-infected for less than four months before AIDS recently has increased after several years of decrease, probably due to anti-retroviral treatment.