title: The 2004 Australian prison entrants' blood-borne virus and risk behaviour survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of blood-borne viruses and associated risk factors among prison entrants at seven Australian prisons across four States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive cross-sectional design. Voluntary confidential testing of all prison entrants for serological markers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B (HBV) over 14 consecutive days in May 2004. Demographic data and data related to risks for blood-borne virus transmission, such as sexual activity, body piercing, tattooing, and injecting drug use, were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  National prevalence for HIV was 1%, hepatitis B core antibody 20%, and hepatitis C antibody 34%. Fifty-nine per cent of participants had a history of injecting drug use. Among injecting drug users, the prevalence of HIV was 1%, hepatitis C antibody 56%, and hepatitis B core antibody 27%. Forty-one per cent of those screened reported a previous incarceration. In the multivariate model, Queensland and Western Australian (WA) prison entrants were significantly less likely to test positive to HCV than those in New South Wales (NSW). Amphetamine was the most commonly injected drug in Queensland, Tasmania and WA. In NSW, heroin was the most common drug injected. In the multivariate analysis a history of injecting drug use, being aged 30 years or more, and a prior incarceration were positively associated with hepatitis C infection. For hepatitis B core antibody, age over 30 years and a history of injecting drug use were associated with an increased risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support the view that prisoner populations are vulnerable to blood-borne virus infection, particularly hepatitis B and C. Prisoner populations should be included in routine surveillance programs so as to provide a more representative picture of blood-borne virus epidemiology in Australia.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research in Criminal Justice and School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Eastgardens. tony.butler@justicehealth.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Leng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boonwaat
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hailstone
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Falconer
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lems
authors.forename: Tricia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ginley
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dore
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaldor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D046288:Body Piercing / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers