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Prevalence and Incidence of
HIV, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Infections Among
Males in Rhode Island Prisons
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448424/
Grace E. Macalino, PhD, David Vlahov, PhD, Stephanie
Sanford-Colby, MPH, Sarju Patel, MSc, Keith Sabin, PhD,
Christopher Salas, BS, and Josiah D. Rich, MD, MPH
Grace E. Macalino, Stephanie Sanford, Sarju Patel, Christopher
Salas, and Josiah D. Rich are with Brown University Medical
School, Providence, RI. David Vlahov is with New York Academy of
Medicine, Center for Urban Epidemiological Studies, New York,
NY, and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public
Health, Baltimore, Md. Keith Sabin is with the University of
Georgia, Athens.
Requests for reprints should be sent to Grace E. Macalino, PhD,
MPH, Brown University, 169 Angell St GS-2, Providence, RI 02912
(e-mail: grace_macalino@brown.edu ).
Accepted June 5, 2003.
We evaluated prevalence and intraprison incidence of HIV,
hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus infections among male
prison inmates.
Methods. We observed intake prevalence for 4269 sentenced
inmates at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute between
1998 and 2000 and incidence among 446 continuously incarcerated
inmates (incarcerated for 12 months or more).
Results. HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus
prevalences were 1.8%, 20.2%, and 23.1%, respectively.
Infections were significantly associated with injection drug use
(odds ratio = 10.1, 7.9, and 32.4). Incidence per 100
person-years was 0 for HIV, 2.7 for HBV, and 0.4 for HCV.
Conclusions. High infection prevalence among inmates represents
a significant community health issue. General disease prevention
efforts must include prevention within correctional facilities.
The high observed intraprison incidence of HBV underscores the
need to vaccinate prison populations.
Concerns exist that jails and prisons could serve as reservoirs
that could amplify transmission of infectious diseases in the
wider community as inmates who become infected behind bars are
released. Such reservoirs would be formed by the high prevalence
of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and
hepatitis C virus (HCV) among inmates, particularly those with a
history of injection drug use. Injection drug users in the
general community have elevated rates of HIV, HBV, and HCV
infections compared with the general population.1,2 Injection
drug use, a known risk factor for these infections, has been
reported in some studies to be present in as much as one third
of convicts entering prison.3 Of these infections identified in
prison, 85% have been associated with preincarceration
behaviors.4 Infections within the reservoir could be amplified
by high-risk behaviors occurring in prison, such as drug use and
sexual activity. Further amplification in the community might
occur as newly infected inmates are released and then infect
individuals in different social networks. The restrictive nature
of the prison environment and the scarcity of clean syringes and
condoms probably heighten the hazards associated with high-risk
activities, thus increasing the risk of transmission from
infected to uninfected inmates.5 Rates of drug use and sex
within prisons are difficult to estimate with precision. Some
previous findings indicated that 12% of inmates injected drugs
and 33% were sexually assaulted while incarcerated6,7; however,
the rate of consensual sex is more difficult to estimate. The
effects of intraprison transmission are not limited to those
incarcerated: given the average lengths of stay in jails (< 3
months) and in prisons (2–3 years), the risk for continued
transmission extends to the general community to which the
ex-offender returns. Thus, interventions addressing infection
prevention in prisons affect the larger community outside the
prison walls.
During the first decade of the HIV epidemic, numerous surveys
estimating prevalence rates in different US correctional systems
revealed that the highest rates were found among the eastern
seaboard states.8 Several studies that examined HIV incidence
within the prison setting (i.e., intraprison transmission)
reported rates that were lower than expected, ranging from 0 to
4.2 per 1000 person-years.9–11 A study of HCV incidence in men
in prison found a rate of 1 per 100 person-years.12 A similar
incidence for HBV was reported from studies in both Tennessee
and New Mexico prisons.13,14 These studies indicated that
transmission does occur but is probably less frequent than might
be expected. In Europe, reports of outbreaks of HIV and other
infections in correctional settings have demonstrated that
efforts to identify and control infections in this setting are
important.15,16
Since these earlier studies were completed, the size of the
prison population in the United States has more than doubled,
and the proportion of inmates held for drug-related crimes also
has increased.17 Concurrently, community HIV prevalence has
expanded and the prevalence of hepatitis viruses, especially HCV,
has remained elevated among injection drug users, with rates
generally exceeding 80%.18,19 In addition, prison-related
outbreaks of hepatitis B have been reported.20 The purpose of
this study was to update and extend information about the
prevalence and within-prison incidence of HIV, HBV, and HCV
infections among sentenced male inmates in the Rhode Island
Correctional Institute.
The Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute has 1 intake
processing center for individuals who have been arrested as well
as those who have been sentenced, thus functioning as both a
jail and a prison facility. Approximately 15 000 men are
processed through intake each year, 3000 of whom are sentenced.
The average daily census is also approximately 3000. The median
age at intake is 41 years, and the racial/ethnic distribution is
56% White, 29% Black, and 14% Hispanic. The median sentence
length is 3 years.
Prevalence Study
Our sample was composed of sentenced inmates who were processed
through intake between February 1998 and February 2000. In 1988,
HIV testing became mandatory for all sentenced inmates in the
state of Rhode Island, although before the mandate more than 90%
of inmates consented to HIV testing at intake. For the purposes
of this study, excess sera from mandatory HIV testing were
collected and stored for all sentenced inmates. Serum specimens
were linked to demographic variables (age and race/ethnicity) as
well as to standard medical intake data, including self-reported
alcohol and drug use, injection drug use, and overt signs of
drug use (e.g., being visibly intoxicated, having track marks).
HIV results were abstracted from mandatory testing records
contained in prison charts. Names and unique identifiers were
removed before testing. All testing for HBV, HCV, and human
T-cell lymphotrophic virus I and II was done off site after
identifiers were removed. Inmates were considered to be HBV
seropositive if their serum tested positive for antibody to
hepatitis B core (anti-HBc). To estimate how many recent
infections were occurring in this population, we also tested
samples for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). A specimen was
considered HCV seropositive if it was reactive to at least 2 HCV
antigen bands that were encoded by different parts of the HCV
genome. Antibody to human T-lymphotrophic virus I/II was assayed
from residual sera that were obtained during only the first year
of the study because of the low prevalence observed.
Incidence Study
One half of the residual sera collected from each individual was
separated, linked to demographic data, and stored untested with
an identifier to serve as the baseline blood sample to evaluate
incidence. Male inmates with stored baseline specimens who were
continuously incarcerated for more than 12 months (without work
release) were eligible for the incidence study sample. Incidence
was determined by testing serial specimens from each inmate—1
specimen at baseline (intake) and 1 at follow-up. Twelve months
postintake was chosen as the follow-up interval both to account
for individuals who may have become HIV infected shortly before
intake but who were still within the seroconversion window
(i.e., the first 6 months following infection) and to ensure
that individuals who became HIV infected within the first 6
months of incarceration would be past the seroconversion window
at incidence testing (an additional 6 months). Eligible inmates
were approached by an outreach worker and underwent informed
consent and venipuncture for the follow-up serum specimen.
Standard pre- and posttest counseling was administered. Inmates
had the choice of having their follow-up test results added to
the prison medical records or making an appointment with the
prison physician. We offered this option as a service to
participants so that it would be clear to them that our study
was separate from the prison medical system. We did not document
who did or did not choose to take advantage of the option of
placing their results in the medical records.
To determine incidence, serial samples were linked before
identifiers were removed prior to testing for HIV, HBV, and HCV.
Incident case individuals were defined as those who were
seronegative at intake and seropositive at follow-up. For
individuals with incident cases for whom samples were available
the paired samples were subjected to reverse blood type testing
to verify that they were indeed from the same person. To
determine whether the participant could have been within the
period of early infection at intake (when antibodies are
negative), baseline samples were retested for HIV RNA and HCV
RNA. For inmates with incident HBV cases, IgM anti-HBc marker
testing was performed to document recent seroconversion.
Institutional review board approval was obtained from all
participating institutions.
Laboratory Testing
Testing for antibody to HIV was performed with commercial
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) (DuPont, Wilmington,
Del) confirmed by Western blot. HBV antibodies were assayed with
commercial EIAs for total anti-HBc (Corzyme; Abbott
Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill) and HbsAg (Auszyme; Abbott).
Anti-HCV was assayed with Ortho HCV version 3.0 ELISA
(Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NY). To ensure that
seroconversions were from the same individual, serum protein
phenotype analyses were performed.10 To exclude infections in
the seroconversion window at intake, baseline specimens from
seroconverters were assayed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
for all infections (Amplicor HIV-1 monitor test [Roche
Diagnostics, Branchburg, NJ] for titers of HIV RNA, Amplicor HBV
monitor test quantitative PCR [Roche Diagnostics] for titers of
HBV DNA, and Amplicor HCV monitor test [Roche Diagnostics] for
titers of HCV RNA).
Analyses
We evaluated whether seasonal variations in prevalence occurred
during the 2 years of our study period by calculating HIV, HBV,
and HCV prevalence in 3-month intervals. A formal test for trend
was performed with logistic regression in which time (by
calendar quarters) was a categorical variable or covariate and
each infection group (i.e. HIV, HBV, HCV) was analyzed
separately as the independent variable (i.e, the outcome). Time
in quarters also was included as an indicator variable to test
for individual differences compared with the first quarter.
To estimate prevalence, sentenced men were counted only once,
regardless of their number of intakes throughout the study
period. Racial/ethnic groups were White, Black, Hispanic, and
Other (Asian and American Indian). Age at intake was categorized
into 4 age groups to minimize reverse identification of inmates.
Drug use was subdivided into 3 groups based on drug use history
or on evidence of needle marks: injection drug users (IDUs),
non–injection drug users, and non–drug users.
Odds ratios (ORs), with each type of infection as the outcome
and demographic and medical variables as the exposure, were
calculated to determine factors associated with infection.
Chi-square tests and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to
guide interpretation. Multivariate logistic regression models
were constructed with variables found to be significant in
univariate analyses to further examine significant predictors of
HIV, HBV, and HCV prevalence, respectively, with control for
other variables. Incidence was calculated with person-time
techniques (which take into account the sum of each individual’s
time at risk and the sum of time that each person remained under
observation), and time contributed to follow-up was calculated
as the interval between intake and the date of the second
venipuncture. To confirm that the entire follow-up time was
“incarcerated time,” we cross-checked with the prison master
database to ensure that only inmates with continuous
incarceration (i.e., no work release or recidivism) were
included.
Of 5390 sequential individual intakes, we obtained residual sera
from 5244 (97.3%). The 5244 intakes occurred among 4269 unique
individual men. The intake sample obtained and the subset sample
for whom drug use was noted were demographically similar to the
overall intake population (data not shown).
As shown in Table 1 , prevalence was 1.8% (95% CI = 1.37, 2.19)
for HIV, 20.2% (95% CI = 18.95, 21.35) for HBV, and 23.1% (95%
CI = 21.79, 24.31) for HCV. Prevalence of each infection by
calendar quarter of entry showed no significant temporal trend
(data not shown).
TABLE 1—
Intake Characteristics of Male Prisoners, by HIV, Hepatitis B
Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Seroprevalence: Rhode Island,
1998–2000
|
|
HIV |
Hepatitis B Virus |
Hepatitis C Virus |
|
|
n |
% Positive (n) |
Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
n |
% Positive (n) |
Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
n |
% Positive (n) |
Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
|
Overall prevalence |
3932 |
1.8 (70) |
. . . |
4269 |
20.2 (860) |
. . . |
4264 |
23.1 (983) |
. . . |
|
Race/ethnicity |
|
   White
|
2270 |
0.5 (19) |
1.0 |
2449 |
19.4 (476) |
1.0 |
2446 |
26.9 (659) |
1.0 |
|
   Black
|
987 |
4.0 (39) |
5.2 (2.93, 9.05) |
1093 |
19.2 (210) |
1.0 (0.82, 1.18) |
1093 |
16.8 (184) |
0.6 (0.46, 0.66) |
|
   Hispanic
|
646 |
1.9 (12) |
2.4 (1.14, 4.95) |
693 |
23.1 (160) |
1.3 (1.02, 1.53) |
691 |
19.8 (137) |
0.7 (0.55, 0.83) |
|
   Other
|
27 |
3.7 (1) |
4.8 (0.62, 37.43) |
32 |
43.8 (14) |
3.2 (1.60, 6.54) |
32 |
9.4 (3) |
0.3 (0.09, 0.93) |
|
Age, y |
|
   <
30
|
|
|
|
2058 |
9.8 (221) |
1.0 |
2055 |
7.9 (162) |
1.0 |
|
   30
to < 40a
|
3256 |
1.3 (42) |
1.0 |
1463 |
26.2 (383) |
3.3 (2.72, 3.95) |
1462 |
33.7 (493) |
6.0 (4.90, 7.22) |
|
   40
to < 50a
|
676 |
4.1 (28) |
3.3 (2.04, 5.37) |
600 |
38.3 (230) |
5.7 (4.61, 7.15) |
599 |
48.3 (289) |
10.9 (8.68, 13.67) |
|
   ≥
50
|
|
|
|
148 |
31.1 (37) |
4.2 (2.86, 6.08) |
148 |
26.4 (39) |
4.2 (2.80, 6.23) |
|
Alcohol use |
|
   No
|
2686 |
2.1 (55) |
1.0 |
3004 |
21.5 (645) |
1.0 |
3000 |
24.3 (729) |
1.0 |
|
   Yes
|
1246 |
1.2 (15) |
0.6 (0.33, 1.04) |
1265 |
17.0 (215) |
0.8 (0.63, 0.89) |
1264 |
20.1 (254) |
0.8 (0.67, 0.92) |
|
Injection drug use |
|
   No
|
3439 |
1.0 (35) |
1.0 |
3481 |
14.8 (516) |
1.0 |
3478 |
14.7 (512) |
1.0 |
|
   Yes
|
443 |
7.7 (34) |
8.1 (4.99, 13.11) |
454 |
59.3 (269) |
8.4 (6.78, 10.30) |
453 |
82.8 (375) |
27.9 (21.45, 36.17) |
|
Noninjection drug use |
|
   No
|
3135 |
2.1 (65) |
1.0 |
3459 |
21.5 (745) |
1.0 |
3454 |
25.2 (869) |
1.0 |
|
   Yes
|
797 |
0.6 (5) |
0.3 (0.12, 0.74) |
810 |
14.2 (115) |
0.6 (0.49, 0.75) |
810 |
14.1 (114) |
0.5 (0.40, 0.60) |
|
No drug use |
|
   No
|
1290 |
3.1 (40) |
1.0 |
1598 |
28.7 (459) |
1.0 |
1596 |
36.7 (585) |
1.0 |
|
   Yes
|
2642 |
1.1 (30) |
0.4 (0.22, 0.58) |
2671 |
15.0 (401) |
0.4 (0.38, 0.51) |
2668 |
14.9 (398) |
0.3 (0.26, 0.35) |
|
Recidivism |
|
   No
|
3223 |
1.8 (57) |
1.0 |
3476 |
20.5 (714) |
1.0 |
3473 |
21.5 (746) |
1.0 |
|
   Yes
|
709 |
1.8 (13) |
1.0 (0.57, 1.91) |
793 |
18.4 (146) |
0.9 (0.72, 1.06) |
791 |
30.0 (237) |
1.6 (1.32, 1.86) |
From:
Am J Public Health. 2004 July; 94(7): 1218–1223.
Copyright © American Journal of Public Health 2004
Univariate Analyses of HIV Seroprevalence
An HIV test result was available for 3932 (92.1%) of the 4269
men in our sample, of whom 98.7% had complete risk behavior
information. The demographics of those tested and those not
tested were statistically similar, although untested individuals
were more likely to be HCV seropositive (OR = 1.4; 95% CI =
1.09, 1.78) and to have had a prior incarceration (OR = 1.5; 95%
CI = 1.16, 1.96).
Men who were HIV-seropositive at intake were more likely than
HIV-uninfected men to be Black or Hispanic, to be older than 40
years, and to be IDUs, but they were less likely to report
alcohol use. HIV was not associated with repeat incarcerations.
Univariate Analyses of HBV Seroprevalence
An HBV test result was available for all 4269 inmates. HBV-infected
inmates were more likely than uninfected inmates to be of Other
(Asian/American Indian) race/ethnicity, to be aged 40–49 years,
and to report injection drug use, but they were less likely to
report alcohol use, noninjection drug use, and recidivism. HBsAg
seropositivity at baseline was 3.1% (134 of 4269).
Univariate Analyses of HCV Seroprevalence
HCV results were available for all but 5 inmates (4264 of 4269).
HCV-infected inmates were more likely than uninfected
individuals to be White, to be aged 40–49 years, to be IDUs, and
to have been previously incarcerated during our study period;
however, alcohol use and noninjection drug use were inversely
associated with HCV infection.
Adjusted Risk Correlates of Bloodborne Pathogens
In the final multivariate model (Table 2 ), HIV infection
remained significantly associated with Black and Hispanic
race/ethnicity, age older than 40 years, and injection drug use.
HBV infection was significantly associated with Black, Hispanic,
and Other race/ethnicity; age over 30; and injection drug use.
HCV infection was significantly associated only with increasing
age over 30 and injection drug use.
TABLE 2—
Adjusted Odds of HIV, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus
Seroprevalence Among Male Prisoners, by Intake Characteristics:
Rhode Island, 1998–2000
|
|
Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
|
Variable |
HIV |
Hepatitis B Virus |
Hepatitis C Virus |
|
Race/ethnicity |
|
   White
|
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
|
   Black
|
8.07 (4.44, 14.70) |
1.57 (1.27, 1.95) |
0.85 (0.67, 1.08) |
|
   Hispanic
|
3.25 (1.52, 6.95) |
2.06 (1.62, 2.61) |
1.08 (0.82, 1.42) |
|
   Other
|
5.49 (0.60, 50.17) |
6.01 (2.54, 14.24) |
0.15 (0.02, 1.22) |
|
Age, y |
|
   <
30
|
. . . |
1.0 |
1.0 |
|
   30
to < 40a
|
1.0 |
3.13 (2.54, 3.85) |
6.93 (5.40, 8.88) |
|
   40
to < 50a
|
2.84 (1.66, 4.86) |
5.62 (4.37, 7.22) |
12.50 (9.38, 16.65) |
|
   ≥
50
|
. . . |
5.67 (3.73, 8.62) |
6.40 (3.98, 10.28) |
|
Injection drug use |
|
   No
|
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
|
   Yes
|
10.06 (5.96, 16.99) |
7.86 (6.28, 9.84) |
32.44 (24.07, 43.71) |
From:
Am J Public Health. 2004 July; 94(7): 1218–1223.
Copyright © American Journal of Public Health 2004
Intraprison Incidence
Of 4269 men, 1170 were continuously incarcerated for at least 12
months; 583 inmates were unavailable because they were released
before they could be approached for participation in the study.
Of the 587 inmates available for the incidence study, 446 (76%)
consented to venipuncture. Demographic characteristics of those
who accepted and those who declined venipuncture were
statistically similar. All serial samples were confirmed to be
from the same individuals, all of whom were uninfected at
baseline. HIV incidence was 0 per 693.7 person-years of
follow-up with an upward 95% CI bound of 4 per 1000
person-years.21 HBV seroincidence was 15 per 564.6 person-years
of follow-up, or 2.7 per 100 person-years (95% CI = 1.57, 3.58).
Of the 5 participants who had sera available for PCR testing,
all were found to have an undetectable HBV viral load at
baseline. Twelve inmates had excess sera from the second serial
sample for immunoglobulin M antibody testing, and 5 tested
positive. Three seroconverters overlapped between these 2
groups, thus confirming intraprison transmission for 7 HBV
incident cases. HCV seroincidence was 2 per 550.9 person-years,
or 0.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI = 0.05, 1.44). Table 3 shows
the HBV and HCV incidence among men overall and by
race/ethnicity and injection drug use. Inmates with incident HBV
cases were more likely (although not significantly) to be
non-White and to report injection drug use.
TABLE 3—
Incidence of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Among Male Prisoners, Stratified by Intake Characteristics:
Rhode Island, 1998–2000
|
Variable |
n |
No. Positive |
Person-Years |
Incidence Ratea (95% Confidence Interval) |
Rate Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
|
Hepatitis B virus infection |
|
Total |
348 |
15 |
564.6 |
2.7 (1.57, 4.45) |
. . . |
|
Race/ethnicity |
|
   Non-White
|
181 |
9 |
293.3 |
3.1 (0.01, 1.67) |
1.4 (0.50, 5.16) |
|
   White
|
167 |
6 |
271.3 |
2.2 (0.01, 2.23) |
1.0 |
|
Injection drug useb |
|
   Yes
|
23 |
3 |
36.7 |
8.2 (1.69, 23.96) |
3.1 (0.05, 9.25) |
|
   No
|
213 |
9 |
346.3 |
2.6 (1.19, 4.93) |
1.0 |
|
Hepatitis C virus infection |
|
Total |
337 |
2 |
550.9 |
0.4 (0.05, 1.44) |
. . . |
|
Race/ethnicity |
|
   White
|
149 |
1 |
241.6 |
0.4 (0.01, 2.23) |
1.3 (0.21, 7.91) |
|
   Non-White
|
188 |
1 |
309.3 |
0.3 (0.01, 1.67) |
1.0 |
|
Injection drug useb |
|
   Yes
|
217 |
1 |
18.2 |
5.5 (0.14, 30.65) |
18.3 (3.13, 119.81) |
|
   No
|
11 |
1 |
352.7 |
0.3 (0.01, 1.67) |
1.0 |
From
Am J Public Health. 2004 July; 94(7): 1218–1223.
Copyright © American Journal of Public Health 2004
The major finding of this study was that rates of bloodborne
infections among men entering the Rhode Island State prison
system indicate cause for continuing public health concern.
Although HIV infection was relatively low in this study compared
with earlier studies of other eastern seaboard states such as
Maryland2 and New York,22 the infection rate was similar to what
has been previously reported from Rhode Island.23,24 The
prevalence of HBV and HCV at intake was high and was within the
same range as findings reported in other US prison settings:
29.5% for HBV prevalence in Tennessee13 and 37% for HCV
prevalence in Maryland.12 The incidences of HIV and HCV
infection were consistent with the earlier literature,1,12
indicating that although intraprison transmission may occur, it
is relatively uncommon in US prisons. By comparison, the
incidence rate of 2.7 per 100 person-years for HBV infection was
higher than both the incidences reported in 2 earlier
studies13,14 and the national incidence of 2.8 per 100 000
person-years calculated from National Notifiable Disease
Surveillance System data.25 Whether this incidence indicates a
high rate of ongoing transmission or represents an isolated
outbreak that occurred during the course of the study cannot be
determined from our data; however, a recent report in another
state prison of an incidence of 3.8% indicates that ongoing
transmission of HBV among inmates is a concern.26 Our data and
that of other studies20,27,28 suggest that activities to prevent
transmission of hepatitis in a correctional setting are
important for both inmates and correctional staff. Although our
data suggest that concerns about prisons serving as an
amplifying reservoir for HIV and HCV might be overstated, these
data are indicative of significant ongoing HBV transmission. No
other studies published to date have provided such extensive
confirmatory data regarding transmission among prison inmates.
Since 1982,29 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
has recommended hepatitis B vaccination for inmates of long-term
correctional facilities and IDUs, and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in a 2003 report reiterated this
suggestion, strongly advising the vaccination of all inmates
without proof of vaccination or serological evidence of immunity
to infection.30 At the time of our study, Rhode Island prisons
did not offer hepatitis B vaccination to their inmates. However,
Rhode Island is not alone among correctional settings in not
providing hepatitis B vaccine as standard practice to inmates. A
recent survey found that of 36 responding US correctional
systems, only 2 provided routine hepatitis B vaccination, 9
offered no vaccination, and the rest offered vaccination to
selected inmates.31 Costs, the challenges of completing
vaccination series in a transient population, and an already
high prevalence of the disease within known risk groups13 are
the main barriers to routine hepatitis B vaccination within
corrections facilities. Vaccination should be initiated even
when completion of the series cannot be ensured, however,
because protective levels of antibody develop after a single
dose of hepatitis B vaccine in 30%–50% of healthy young adults
and after 2 doses of vaccine in 75% of healthy young adults.30
The argument for vaccinating prison populations is salient
because the risk of intraprison HBV transmission among currently
incarcerated individuals is not trivial. Thus, the risk of HBV
exists both for the already incarcerated population and for
those newly incarcerated. Furthermore, 73% of our study sample
was released within 12 months of intake. Earlier studies of
persons released from prison indicate that incarceration
represents a sentinel event and that on release, relapse to
risky behaviors occurs rapidly, increasing risk in the general
community.32,33 Thus, the prison setting is an appropriate venue
in which to provide general public health prevention programs.
As we have shown, the prison setting is also an ideal venue for
access to injection drug users: 35% of our population either
self-reported or had visible signs (i.e., track marks) of
injection drug use. Few settings offer such efficient access to
this otherwise hidden population for the purpose of providing
public health services.
Our incidence results cannot be extended to the entire
incarcerated population, in particular those with shorter
sentences. Jail populations experience shorter sentences than
prison populations. HIV prevalence has been reported to be
higher in jails than prisons,24 however, one national study
which controlled for geographic location found no significant
differences in intake HIV prevalence between jail and prison
populations.34 On the basis of these studies, it is unclear
whether shorter sentences pose additional risk and whether
further studies are required. Our findings underscore the
importance of providing HIV and hepatitis prevention services in
the corrections setting, particularly among men. US Census 2000
data show that almost 2 million adult men aged 18–64 years are
incarcerated at any given time. Men are 15 times more likely to
be incarcerated than are women, relative to their numbers in the
overall US population, and in 2001, 10% of Black men aged 25–29
years were incarcerated.35 The size of the US male population
that is incarcerated demands regular monitoring of bloodborne
infections both to determine the burden of disease existing
within the incarceration setting and to access a population at
risk that is not isolated from the community at large. The
communities to which inmates return often have problems (mental
and chronic illness, poverty, violence) with which to contend,36
further compounding the consequences of missed prevention
opportunity for incarcerated, high-risk groups. Practical
challenges associated with administering hepatitis B vaccination
in prisons should be considered in relation to the benefits this
intervention would afford.
Offering hepatitis B vaccination in prisons must be a public
health priority, given the impact of infected individuals on the
incarcerated population and, beyond the prison walls, on the
transmission of HIV, HBV, and HCV in the communities to which
inmates return.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by grants from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CCU31492) and the National Institute on
Drug Abuse (DA04334) as well as from the National Institutes of
Health, Center for AIDS Research (NIH CFAR–P30-AI-42853).
Note. The opinions expressed in this article are solely the
responsibility of the authors and may not necessarily represent
the official views of the awarding agencies.
We acknowledge Michael Patterson and Jaclynn Kurpewski for their
laboratory expertise and support at Miriam Hospital; Nicole
Carpenetti, Stacey Meyerer, and Ellen Taylor for their
laboratory expertise and support at Johns Hopkins; Michelle
Lanciaux and Pauline Marcussen for their collaboration and data
collection efforts at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional
Institute; Anne Marie Roberti for her assistance at the Rhode
Island Adult Correctional Institute laboratory; Chris Murrill
for his role at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in the implementation of the study; Michelle McKenzie, Megan
Gaydos, Angela Salas, Kristen Petit, and Pedro Rosa for their
endless hours of assistance.
Human Participant Protection
All procedures and human participant protections related to this
study were approved by the local institutional review boards of
The Miriam Hospital, the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg
School of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Notes
Contributors
G. Macalino conceived the study, supervised all aspects of its
implementation, and led the writing. D. Vlahov conceived the
study, provided scientific guidance, synthesized analyses, and
assisted with writing. S. Sanford led the data management of the
study and performed most of the analyses. S. Patel assisted with
the analyses, conceptualization, and literature review of the
article. K. Sabin provided technical assistance and problem
solving in the execution of the study. C. Salas executed all
aspects of the study’s implementation and oversaw the daily
operations of the study. J. Rich established links between the
study and the Rhode Island prison and provided guidance in the
implementation of the project.
Peer Reviewed
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