Kennedy SS, Hammett TM, Braithwaite R, Arriola KR, Robillard AG; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. WePeG7030.
Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA, United States
ISSUES: The prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) among inmates of US jails and prisons is over five times that in the total population. Incarceration offers an opportunity for HIV/STI screening because inmates can usually receive results, treatment and counseling before release. But it can be costly for departments of corrections (DOC) to test and treat HIV/STI, and inmates may decline testing due to confidentiality concerns. Departments of public health (DPH), however, have the mission and resources to identify and treat HIV/STI, offer counseling and process tests. DESCRIPTION: Through the Corrections Demonstration Project to expand HIV services in correctional facilities, community-based organizations (CBO), DPH and DOC share tasks in the STI screening process in innovative ways to increase testing. Staff conducting HIV pre- and posttest counseling are usually from grant-funded CBOs but are sometimes from the DPH or DOC, some of these staff also offer prevention or case management services. DOC medical staff (not grant funded) collect the specimen most often, but grant DOC, DPH or CBO staff can collect it. Some sites use specimens already collected by the DOC or use the Orasure test. Test kits and lab fees are usually paid by DPH, though rarely with grant funds. The DOC occasionally pays these fees, but it delivers and funds treatment at all sites. LESSONS LEARNED: Integrating HIV/STI screening with other DPH and CBO HIV programs in corrections increases the volume and acceptability of testing. From April 2000 to October 2001, six DPH offered HIV counseling and testing (7330 tested, 3.4% positive) and screened for chlamydia (11316 tested, 6.7% positive), gonorrhea (9398 tested, 3.1% positive) and syphilis (2167 tested, 2.4% positive) at 53 jails, prisons and juvenile facilities. RECOMMENDATION: Health agencies, correctional facilities and CBOs should share counseling, testing and lab costs to increase HIV/STI screening for inmates.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- AIDS Vaccines
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Anti-HIV Agents
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
- Cooperative Behavior
- Counseling
- HIV
- HIV Antibodies
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- HIV Seroprevalence
- Mass Screening
- Models, Biological
- Prevalence
- Prisons
- United States
- United States Health Resources and Services Administration
Other ID:
UI: 102252491
From Meeting Abstracts