HOMICÍDIOS NA POPULAÇÃO MASCULINA DA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DE SÃO PAULO -- BRASIL.

Objective: to describe the trend in homicides among male dwellers of the São Paulo metropolitan area between 1979 and 2013. Method: environmental and exploratory study of time trends, with description of the evolution and space distribution of the homicides. We analyzed the deaths and the homicide-related mortality coefficients among the male population of the São Paulo metropolitan area. Results: the deaths prevailed among adolescents and young adults, with an increase after the age of 14. The mortality coefficient for male homicides was higher than the country's average until 2005. After that year, it became lower than the Brazilian average. Conclusion: the homicides in the São Paulo metropolitan area had a peculiar behavior in comparison with Brazil and the state of São Paulo until early 2005, deserving careful and detailed investigation of the events that led to the reduction in the homicides in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]