HIV testing inside Brazilian female prisons: results of a national survey

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of women in prisons who have already had an HIV test inside prison and the factors associated with this test. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1327 women in 15 prisons in 9 states in Brazil. Almost 60% (95% CI: 57.8–63.7) of women have already been tested for HIV in prison. The factors associated with this HIV test were age ≥41 years (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.2–2.9), highest level of education (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.3–2.8), having been arrested 3 or more times (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.3–2.8), having received information about HIV/STI in the lifetime (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1–1.9) and perceived themselves to be at no risk for HIV infection (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.2–2.5), black or mixed race (OR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5–0.9) and having a male sexual partner (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.5–0.9). The routine HIV testing in prisons needs to be expanded to promote HIV prevention for a population with limited access to these services outside of prison.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV testing
• Women
• Prisons
• Brazil
• HIV care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Health through the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) [grant Number 4052782012–8]; CNPq Sciences without Borders [grant number 2945/2013]; Health Surveillance Secretariat / Department of STD, AIDS and viral hepatitis [grant number Project BRA / K57 - # 01/2013].