Abstract
Introduction: HIV is a public health problem that is relevant in the Colombian Pacific due to major social problems in the region where women are exposed to more risk factors. Objective: To describe the differences by gender and age of the most frequent ICD-10 code related to HIV in four departments of the Colombian Pacific region during the period 2014 to 2018. Materials and methods: We conducted a descriptive, retrospective observational study with ecological units of analysis (departments and municipalities) obtained by aggregation. The data source was SISPRO, a platform for the mandatory registration of health services in the country. For each age group and territorial entity, we estimated the proportions of each code for women and men, as well as the absolute differences (the female proportion minus the male proportion). Results: At the regional level, there was a predominance of women in 9 of 22 groups evaluated. The largest absolute difference was in the 25-29 age group. Five of the nine age groups with a predominance of women represented ages over 50 years. The greatest difference was found in the 50-54 age group in Chocó, and the smallest difference was found in the 90-94 age group in Nariño. The analysis identified the following two patterns: before the age of 50 with a predominance of men and over the age of 50 with a predominance of women. Conclusions: The secondary analysis of databases for routine information collection is useful. Given that the data showed a prevalence of older adults, especially women, it is important to consider including this population in the promotion and prevention strategies of the HIV program.