Sexual behaviours of HIV-seropositive men and women following release from prison.
Twenty-five percent of the US HIV-infected population is released from a prison or jail each year. As the extent of risky sexual behaviours after prison release is largely unknown, we interviewed a cohort (n = 64) of HIV-infected, recently released (mean 45 days, SD 28) prisoners about their current sexual risk behaviours. Almost half (47%, n = 64) of the released prisoners reported sexual activity after release, mostly with regular partners. Although 26% (n = 27) reported engaging in unprotected sexual activity with their regular partners, none (n = 4) reported unprotected sex with their non-regular partners. Furthermore, 33% percent (n = 15) of the releasees with regular partners reported engaging in unprotected sex with HIV-seronegative partners. These results suggest that regular partners of HIV-infected prison releasees are at risk of acquiring HIV infection, and secondary risk-reduction strategies are needed for HIV-infected prison releasees.
Stephenson
Becky L
BL
Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, and Dentistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. bls@med.unc.edu
Wohl
David A
DA
McKaig
Rosemary
R
Golin
Carol E
CE
Shain
Lara
L
Adamian
Monica
M
Emrick
Cathy
C
Strauss
Ronald P
RP
Fogel
Cathie
C
Kaplan
Andrew H
AH
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D012747:Sexual Partners