Patterns of Drug Use and HIV-Related Risk Behaviors among Incarcerated People in a Prison in Iran |
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Authors: | Saman Zamani Marziyeh Farnia Alireza Torknejad Behrouz Abbasi Alaei Mehran Gholizadeh Farzad Kasraee Masako Ono-Kihara Koji Oba Masahiro Kihara |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Global Health and Socio-epidemiology, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan;(2) The Iran Prison Organization, Tehran, Iran;(3) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-Iran, Tehran, Iran;(4) AIDS/Addiction Research and Intervention Association, Tehran, Iran;(5) EBM Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan |
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Abstract: | Previous research indicates that prisoners in Iran are at risk of drug-related harm, including acquisition of blood-borne
infections. In response, several prevention interventions have been introduced into prisons in Iran, such as methadone maintenance
treatment (MMT). MMT is now provided to opioid-dependent prisoners in 142 of the 230 prisons and correctional settings in
Iran. A baseline behavioral survey was conducted in Karaj Central prison which mainly holds prisoners with drug-related charges.
Overall, 203 male prisoners from randomly selected rooms in two prison blocks were interviewed using a structured questionnaire
in 2007, just before the introduction of MMT program in this prison. Among participants, 7% reported never having used illicit
drugs in their lifetime, but 51% had used non-injecting illicit drugs, and as high as 42% reported having injected an illicit
drug. Up to 79% (160/203) of all participants reported using drugs, and about 6% (12/203) reported drug injecting during their
current incarceration term. Same-gender sexual practice during current incarceration term was reported by 2.5% (5/203) of
all male prisoners. Comparison between injecting and non-injecting drug-using prisoners indicated that drug injectors had
higher rates of previous incarcerations, commenced drug use at a younger age, were more likely to have used illicit drugs
in the previous week, were more likely to have been treated by a physician for drug addiction, had higher rates of registration
for methadone treatment inside prison, and were more likely to have been tested for HIV infection. These study findings provide
a behavioral profile of prisoners in regard to drug-related harm and can be considered in any plan to introduce or improve
provision of MMT in prisons in Iran or other countries with similar features. |
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Keywords: | Drug use HIV risk behaviors Prison Iran |
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