HIV and suicide in Hamburg.

Established data relating to HIV infection, AIDS, drug user related deaths and suicides were evaluated at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Hamburg in order to gain an insight into suicide and HIV. There was no evidence of an increased suicide ratio among HIV infected drug users. The drug aid system appears to be relatively well organized. In this group the risk of death is not dependent on HIV infection status or concomitant disease, but on overdosing. The need for detailed studies is obvious. There was no obvious increase in the suicide ratio among all HIV infected persons and AIDS cases. From the point of view of forensic medicine the number of completed suicides with HIV present was low (3 cases per year reported from the central morgue). The work of the support system in Hamburg seems to be successful, but there may be a relevant number of undetected cases. Up to now the data available about individual cases are inconclusive. An interdisciplinary European effort may be helpful in order to elucidate the problem from the point of view of different support and registration system for people with HIV infection.