ABSTRACT
The first AIDS cases recorded in Italy were a few male homosexuals. There are no visible signs of the epidemic slowing down even if the curve seems to be stabilizing. Italy has the third-largest number of indigenous cases of AIDS in Europe, that is children of HIV-positive, intravenous drug-using mothers. In view of the high proportion of HIV-positive cases and the young age of the IV-drug-using population, it is likely that the number of at-risk pregnancies will also continue to increase. Turning to the way in which the organizations are distributed throughout Italy, it seems that the regions in Central Italy with the largest number of AIDS cases have fewer organizations than the North-East – even than the South where there are fewer recorded cases. Finally, there are about twice as many organizations in the North, in proportion to the number of patients, than in the South and on the islands.
