To compare epidemiological aspects of young (15 to 49 years old) and older (more than 50 years old) AIDS patients.

We analyzed 511,633 AIDS cases notified to the Brazilian Ministry of Health in the period of 1980–2008 looking at sex, age ranges, educational level and exposure category. Patients were divided into three age groups: under 15, from 15 to 49 and over 50 years old. Using a comparative approach, we analyzed data with regard to category of exposure, education (expressed in years of schooling), and sex ratio among younger (15–49) and older adults (over 50 years old). Time series data were log-transformed and normalized, and the temporal trend was evaluated.

AIDS incidence is increasing among people over 50 years old in Brazil, with those older than 50 being responsible for 9.64% of AIDS cases. There was no significant difference between educational level and gender (p=0.468), but there was a significant difference in exposure category with a lower proportion of injecting drug users amongst the older group.

Based on this analysis over the last 10 years, the percentage of AIDS cases has increased almost three times among people over 50 years old when compared with the 15–49 year-old group. Our findings suggest that public campaigns have to be specially targeted to the older segment of the population, aiming at heterosexual transmission.