Correcting for misclassified HIV/aids deaths in Mexico: Retrospective analysis, 1983-2012

To identify and reassign misclassified AIDS deaths in Mexico, reconstructing the time series of mortality from 1983 to 2012, by state, sex, age, and affiliation to social security.15.5 million deaths from 1979 to 2012 were analyzed. The HIV-AIDS mortality correction was done in three phases: a) those causes directly related to AIDS; b) by miscoded deaths, and c) AIDS deaths hidden in other underlying causes of death. Age-standardized rates of mortality (SMR) were calculated by sex, affiliation to social security, and state.107 981 AIDS deaths from 1983 to 2012 were accumulated, representing 11% of total deaths observed for the period. The SMR in men for all age groups begins to decline since 1996, while for women the decline started in 2008. A similar picture is observed for the population with / without social security. Heterogeneity is a feature for SMR by state.An easily replicable methodology for the correction of mortality from AIDS, which generates relevant information for decision making based on the evidence is presented.