The Prevalence of HIV and its Associated Factors among Prisoners of Central Prison, Larkana, Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: HIV/AIDS is one of the major worldwide health problems affecting inmates and a significant
concern for government, public health services and prison administration services. The aim of our
study was to determine the prevalence of HIV infection among prisoners and its associated
factors.
Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among prisoners of Central Prison, Larkana,
Pakistan from August 2019 to December 2019. A total number of Seven hundred and eighty three
(N = 83) prisoners were invited to participate. Data were collected by means of the pre-designed
and pilot tested study questionnaire and was entered in SPSS version 21 for analysis.
Results: Out of 783 participants initially invited in the study, six hundred (N = 600) of whom fulfilled the
criteria. The screening and questionnaire response rate was 81%. During screening three prisoners
were found to be HIV positive. Among prisoners, 220 (36.7%) were drug users, 19 (8.6%) used
injectable form of drug, while 506 (84.3%) had never used condoms during the sex. The
prevalence of this study was 0.5%
Conclusion: The study revealed the need to educate the prisoners for prevention and care measures in prisons.
Further studies are needed to observe the situation in other part of the country.