Objective:

To determine the trends in the incidence of HIV infection in the Atacama region, Chile, according to age and sex, for the 2010-2017 period.

Material and Methods:

Analysis from the database of confirmed HIV-positive diagnosis cases. HIV incidence rates were made up from confirmed HIV cases adjusted by year, age, and sex, with population denominators from the INE. General and specific trend analysis was performed using regression equations.

Results:

The groups with the highest incidence of HIV infection were: 20-29 years, 30-39 years, and 40-49 years. The analysis of the curve and its general trend showed that the growth curve of the 20-29 years group is the strongest. Adjusting for sex, it was observed that, in men, the 20-29 years group has the strongest growth and growth forecast of all groups, followed by men aged 50-59 years. In the case of women, the 50-59 and 60-69 age groups are the fastest growing, however, it is a slower growth in relation to the men's group.

Conclusions:

Chile has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world. We estimate that the most incidental groups are linked to the mining population, which denotes the importance of the relationship between mining activity and the high incidence of HIV infection. The results suggest the need for prevention and early detection of the sources of HIV infection and the need to adapt strategies in this population. It is necessary to close the gap of HIV-positive people who do not know their health status, in order to stop the spread of HIV among miners and in the communities surrounding the mining industry.

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