HIV in correctional facilities: role of self-report in case identification.
For treatment of HIV/AIDS in jails and prisons to be effective, these institutions must identify as many HIV-positive inmates as they can. We compare HIV status among a drug-addicted jail population determined through a physical examination and a voluntary HIV testing program, with self-reported status in an interview. Of 360 subjects interviewed and given physical examinations, approximately one third (110) took the voluntary HIV test and all were negative, and only 1 was identified as HIV-positive in the physical. However, 7 (2%) stated in the interview that they were HIV positive, none of whom took the HIV test. Five of the 7 also self-reported injection drug use and having shared needles. We conclude that inmate self-report is an important pathway for HIV case finding in correctional institutions.
Great Cities Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA. thlyons@uic.edu
Thomas
T
Lyons
Paul
P
Goldstein
Jean
J
Kiriazes
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons; D012650:Self Disclosure; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D035141:Voluntary Programs