[HIV/AIDS prevention in prisons: experience of participatory planning].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the application of participatory methodology in the prison setting for the determination of the most appropiate contents and methods of a HIV/AIDS prevention program.


METHODS
Community study in the Centro de Cumplimiento del Establecimiento Penitenciario in Valencia (1250 inmates) in Spain. The study was carried out in two phases: identification of key informants and collection of information. In the second phase, a community forum composed of the center's male and female inmates was created, personal interviews with convicted female prisoners were carried out and a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the center's health professionals and management as well as to health promotion experts.


RESULTS
Community forum. The following proposals for HIV/AIDS prevention were made by the male and female prisoners: a) those directed at the prisoners themselves: increasing preventive mesures in material used in injection and in sexual relationships; b) those directed at the prison management: increased distribution of condoms, safety razors and bleach and the introduction of sterile injection material. In the personal interviews, agreement on a future prevention program was high among the female inmates and the other key informants. Preferred measures were the acquisition of information on the mechanisms of HIV transmission and prevention and on the differences between HIV carriers and those suffering from AIDS and the acquisition of skills for disinfecting material used for drug injection and in negotiating the use of condoms with partners. The preferred methodology was based on groups that would allow for an interchange of experience and would deal with the difficulties of putting preventive measures into practice.


CONCLUSIONS
The participation of the prison's inmates and staff supplied information that facilitated the design (choice of aims, measures, methods and resources) of an HIV prevention program adapted to the needs and preferences of all the interested parties.
Paredes i Carbonella
J J
JJ
Complejo Educativo de Cheste.
Colomer Revueltab
C
C
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011330:Prisons