AIDS deaths
decline in Massachusetts

The AIDS death rate in Massachusetts declined in 2003, according to a new report by the state health department. The AIDS death rate in 2003 in the state was about the same level as in 2000, but lower than both 2001 and 2002, according to the report. The 2000 and 2003 AIDS death rates were the lowest in the Massachusetts since 1987. However, AIDS deaths among women in the state tripled since 1989, according to the report. The AIDS death rate also more than doubled among those age 45 or older since 1994. AIDS was the fifth-leading cause of death for Latinos in Massachusetts in 2003, the ninth for African-Americans, and the 23rd for whites, according to the report.