Demographic Profile along with Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) with Regards HIV Risky behaviour of Prisoners Who have Tested Positive for HIV at a Central Jail in Punjab-India (South East Asia)

Punjab is currently facing the problem of addiction on an epidemic scale and addiction poses a formidable risk to HIV. This study was planned with a motive to understand some behavioural pattern of HIV positive prison inmates, who pose significant risk to fellow inmates and are themselves vulnerable to various illnesses due to their HIV status.

To study the demographic profile along with the knowledge, attitude and practices, with regards to HIV risky behaviour of HIV positive prisoners.

A cross-sectional study from an Indian jail.

A total of 61 prisoners who tested positive for HIV and agreed to participate in this ethically approved study after giving an informed consent, were assessed through a investigator designed proforma to know the demographic profile alongwith knowledge, attitude and practices, with regards to HIV risky behaviour.

Among the 707 jail inmates who were tested for HIV, 76 subjects (10.7%) prisoners tested reactive for HIV. Among these 76 HIV positive inmates, all were male. 61 subjects agreed to participate in the study through an informed consent. The results show that the study sample had a mean age of 30 years, 45 of the subjects were convicts (74%), 35 subjects were married (57%), 34 subjects had urban residential background (58%), 45 subjects belonged to Sikh religion (74%), 38 subjects were under matriculate (62%). 59 subjects gave the history of life time use of Intravenous drug usage (96.7%).

High prevalence of IV drug abuse in Indian prisons is an alarming situation. The adequate management of such persons in prison, with minimising associated risk for blood-borne infections has come up as an important issue, in the wake of rising number of arrests for illegal possession of drugs in this part of the country.