"This is one of the first bright spots we have seen in this epidemic," said Christopher Portelli, executive director of the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association in Washington.
"But we hope it is seen as a call to arms rather than a chance to relax and breathe a sigh of relief."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 22,000 people died of AIDS in the first six months of 1996, down from the 24,900 deaths in the same period a year earlier.
The CDC saw a slight drop in AIDS deaths in the second quarter of 1995, but researchers did not see it as significant.
There was more good news yesterday: While the number of people diagnosed with AIDS continues to grow, the growth rate is slowing.
In 1995, about 62,200 people were diagnosed, an increase of less than 2 percent over the 61,200 new cases in 1994. The growth rate from 1993 to 1994 was 5 percent.
The first signs of the drop in AIDS deaths came in January, when New York City reported a 30 percent drop in AIDS deaths in 1996.
"I think this speaks to the success of the dual approach of counseling, testing and treating people with HIV," said Patricia Fleming, the CDC's chief of HIV/AIDS reporting and analysis.
The CDC credits better treatment for AIDS patients, including new drugs, and better access to treatment through state and federal programs.
What's still unclear is the impact of a new class of drugs called protease inhibitors. The AIDS death rate leveled off in 1995, before those medicines became widely available.
Not all doctors are sure that AIDS is making an about-face, however.
"In my view, this decline is unfortunately only a lull," said Dr. Irvin Chen, director of the AIDS Institute at UCLA.
"Not all patients are responding as effectively as the majority of patients. There are some patients for whom the drugs are not effective," he said.
And some advocates point out that AIDS patients, as they live longer, will need more help, not less.
"It's still difficult for a person to walk into a doctor's office and be treated for AIDS," Portelli said.
"We are concerned that people will misinterpret this news. We would hope to see more money and support for better access to medical services. New drugs are not all we need," he said.
"Access to health care is a life-and-death matter," said Christine Lubinski, deputy executive director of the AIDS Action Council in Washington.
"We are going to continue to urge an increased investment ... because we're finally beginning to see a payoff," she said.