In the last few years, the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy has radically modified the prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Osteonecrosis and osteoporosis are among the bone complications recently described in HIV-infected patients. We report a preliminary study comparing 47 HIV-infected patients (31 men and 16 women) to 47 age- and sex-matched controls. Bone mineral density was lower in patients than in controls: in men, 0.919 ± 0.120 g/cm[sup2 ] vs. 1.010 ± 0.139 g/cm[sup2 ] (P = 0.01) at the total hip and 0.948 ± 0.100 g/cm[sup2 ] vs. 1.043 ± 0.117 g/cm[sup2 ] (P = 0.0008) at the lumbar spine; in women, 0.912 ± 0.149 g/cm[sup2 ] vs. 0.968 ± 0.090 g/cm[sup2 ] at the total hip (P = 0.17) and 0.989 ± 0.152 g/cm[sup2 ] vs. 1.080 ± 0.097 g/cm[sup2 ] (P = 0.01) at the lumbar spine. HIV-infected males were more likely to have osteopenia and osteoporosis, as compared to the male controls (19 vs. 14 and 4 vs. 1, respectively, P = 0.02). None of the women had osteoporosis; nine HIV-infected women and one female control had osteopenia (P = 0.003). No fractures were recorded. In this preliminary study, no evidence supporting a relationship between bone loss and protease inhibitor treatment was found.