Voluntary anonymous linked study of the prevalence of HIV infection and hepatitis C among inmates in a Canadian federal penitentiary for women.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Voluntary anonymous linked study of the prevalence of HIV infection and hepatitis C among inmates in a Canadian federal penitentiary for women.

Can Med Assoc J. 1995 Dec 1;153(11):1605-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96088804
Ford PM; White C; Kaufmann H; MacTavish J; Pearson M; Ford S; Sankar-Mistry P; Connop P; Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine the seroprevalence of HIV infection and hepatitis C among inmates of a federal penitentiary for women. DESIGN: Voluntary, anonymous, linked, point-prevalence study involving testing of blood samples for antibodies to HIV and hepatitis C virus. PARTICIPANTS: All inmates of the multilevel security federal Prison for Women, Kingston, Ont., who volunteered to participate in the study. Inmates at this long-stay facility are from across Canada. OUTCOME MEASURE: Seroprevalence rate among participants of antibodies to HIV and hepatitis C virus. RESULTS: Of the 130 inmates available for study 113 (86.9%) agreed to donate a blood sample. One woman (0.9%) was HIV positive; 45 (39.8%) were positive for hepatitis C antibody. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to obtain a high participation rate in a voluntary, anonymous, linked point-prevalence study in a long-stay penitentiary. The HIV seroprevalence rate of 0.9% is lower than that found in studies in provincial (short-stay) prisons. However, the high rate of antibodies to hepatitis C suggests a significant level of risk behaviour, most likely injection drug use, and suggests the potential for a rapid increase in the rate of HIV infection should the number of newly admitted HIV-positive inmates who use injection drugs rise.

Keywords: Adolescence Adult Canada/EPIDEMIOLOGY Comorbidity Female Hepatitis C/BLOOD/COMPLICATIONS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY Human *HIV Seroprevalence Middle Age Prevalence *Prisoners Residence Characteristics Seroepidemiologic Methods Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Women's Health JOURNAL ARTICLE
960330
M9630724

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