Shane Allwright
Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV and risk factors in Irish prisoners: results of a national cross sectional survey
Trinity College Dublin|Regional Health|Bon Secours Hospital Dublin|National Public Health Laboratory
determine prevalence antibodies hepatitis b core antigen hepatitis c virus hiv prison population republic ireland examine risk factors infectioncross sectional anonymous unlinked survey self completed risk factor questionnaire provision oral fluid specimen antibody testingnine 15 prisons republic ireland1366 prisoners 1205 57 women participated smaller prisons prisoners surveyed three largest prisons one half population randomly sampled three small prisons believed problem injecting drug use excludedprevalence antibodies hepatitis b core antigen antibodies hepatitis c virus antibodies hiv self reported risk factor statusprevalence antibodies hepatitis b core antigen 1041193 87 95 confidence interval 72 105 hepatitis c virus 4421193 37 343 399 hiv 241193 2 13 3 important predictor positive hepatitis b hepatitis c history injecting drug use thirty four women 60 474 men 42 reported ever injecting drugs fifth 104 501 injecting drug users reported first injecting prison 347 71 users reported sharing needles prisoninfection hepatitis c secondary use injected drugs endemic irish prisons better access harm reduction strategies needed environment