Health care practices and associated service needs in a sample of HIV-positive incarcerated men in Puerto Rico: implications for retention in care.
OBJECTIVE
This report describes the HIV-related health care practices and associated support service needs of a sample of HIV-positive incarcerated men in Puerto Rico.


METHODS
Data are derived from a random sample of HIV-positive incarcerated men (n = 37) in Puerto Rico who completed a brief survey. Analysis included descriptive statistics to examine lifetime prevalence of substance use, selected health care practices, receipt of services, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.


RESULTS
Most men (97.3%) reported history of alcohol or drug use, prior incarceration, and drug use as the main risk factors for HIV infection (73.0%). In all, 83.8% of the men reported having had their first HIV screening test in a correctional facility, 55.6% reported intermittent HIV therapy, and most (83.8%) had also been diagnosed with HCV.


CONCLUSIONS
Correctional facilities can be important settings for engaging high-risk populations in health care, capturing and enrolling unidentified HIV/HCV infections for clinical care, and engaging in substance abuse treatment. In order for these public health outcomes to be achieved, it is important to consider strategies to optimize care inside prison and in the community.
Department of Social Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA carlos.rodriguez64@upr.edu.
Carlos E
CE
Rodríguez-Díaz
Clinical Services Division, Correctional Health Services Corporation, Guaynabo, PR, USA.
Rosa M
RM
Rivera-Negrón
Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA.
Michael C
MC
Clatts
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Janet J
JJ
Myers
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011647:Puerto Rico
Caribbean; HIV; Puerto Rico; cascade of care; hepatitis C; prison