Report: HIV Risk Behavior Before and After HIV Counseling and Testing in Jail

A report, 'HIV risk behavior before and after HIV counseling and testing in jail: a pilot study,' is newly published data in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. According to a study from the United States, "Jail incarceration represents an opportunity to deliver HIV counseling and testing (C&T) services to persons at increased risk of infection. However, jails can be chaotic with rapid turnover of detainees."

"We conducted a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of comparing the effect of different approaches to HIV C&T in jail on subsequent HIV risk behaviors among persons testing HIV negative. Consecutive cohorts of newly incarcerated jail detainees were recruited with 132 subjects completing standard HIV C&T as per jail protocol and 132 subjects completing rapid testing with an individualized counseling session. Risk behavior was assessed and compared at baseline and 6 weeks after jail release. Among the 264 male participants, preincarceration substance use and sexual risk were common. The follow-up visit was completed by 59% of eligible participants. There were no differences in postrelease HIV risk behavior between the 2 arms but there was an overall decrease in risk behavior after jail release for the cohort. In addition, all participants in the rapid arm received rapid HIV test results compared with participants receiving 28% of conventional test results. Jail incarc! eration represents an important public health opportunity to deliver HIV C&T. This study demonstrated (1) feasibility in delivering rapid HIV testing combined with individualized counseling to jail detainees, (2) improved test result delivery rates, and (3) success with evaluating risk behaviors during the transition from jail to the community," wrote C.G. Beckwith and colleagues, Brown University.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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