Abstract
The prevalence of HIV is substantially higher among prisoners than the general population, while the incidence varies considerably in different regions around the world. If we consider Sub-Saharan Africa as one region with the highest prevalence of HIV, data on African prisoners would be limited. Despite the low prevalence of HIV in the Middle East and North Africa, its incidence is rising in these regions with a few exceptions; there are insufficient data on HIV prevalence in prisons. A similar situation is present in both Pacific and Central Asia as well as in Eastern Europe. A high rate of infection is mainly observed among prisoners in Western and Central parts of Europe, since the data from these are more available than other parts. Nowadays, the sexual transmission mode and tattooing are important ways in HIV risks among prisoners after injecting drug use as the most common route of HIV transmission in all regions. However, it is difficult to compare and analyze the prevalence of HIV among prisoners in different regions regarding the limited data and different methods which they used in collecting data. Eventually, it can certainly be said that prisons are one of the high-risk places for HIV transmission; on the other hand, can be a suitable place for implementing HIV case-finding, linkage to treatment and harm reduction programs.
Highlights
The world population of prisoners in 2014 was estimated about 10.2 million and incidence of HIV infection among prisoners was much higher than the general population [1 - 3]
In Marseille, France, injection drug use (IDU) alone was reported as a risk factor, with 21% of HIV prevalence [49], in another study in France, HIV prevalence increased with age, and it varied according to continent of birth, being highest among individuals born in SubSaharan Africa (15.4%) [48]
It seems that there is a significant difference in HIV prevalence among prisoners in different regions of the world, and in various areas of a country
Summary
The world population of prisoners in 2014 was estimated about 10.2 million and incidence of HIV infection among prisoners was much higher than the general population [1 - 3]. By 2015, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the US (updated to 2020) outlines four goals, including: i) reducing HIV incidence; ii) increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for HIV infected people; iii) reducing HIVrelated disparities and health inequalities; and iv) achieving a more coordinated national response to the HIV epidemic [19]. To achieve these goals, it is important to be aware of HIV prevalence and its related risk factors in prisons. The aim of this review was to produce a coherent summary of HIV prevalence and the correlates among the prisoners
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