Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Only three in 10 prisoners in 53 central jails have been tested for HIV in the last 12 months, even though HIV prevalence among people behind bars was about 1.93 per cent, which is nine times higher than the general population, according to the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) report.
Moreover, HIV prevalence among prisoners was comparable to female sex workers in India, who continue to fall under a heavy HIV burden. The findings also established an over-representation of injecting drug users (IDU) in Indian prisons than the general population.
The technical report on HIV sentinel surveillance plus 2021 central prison sites found that the knowledge about HIV/AIDS was much below desired levels among inmates, of which over 59 per cent were convicted and the rest were under trials.
Describing it as a “critical gap and a priority area for future interventions”, the study conducted among 20,695 inmates lodged in 53 central jails in 26 states found that only three out of five HIV-positive were on antiretroviral (ART) drugs.
The findings also indicated sexual activities in prison, with five out of every 100 inmates reporting its prevalence, and only three-fifths reported using condoms with their paid partners. The study found highest HIV prevalence was noted in Mizoram (26 per cent), followed by Punjab (7.5 per cent), Nagaland (4.6 per cent) and Chandigarh (3.5 per cent).
NEW DELHI: Only three in 10 prisoners in 53 central jails have been tested for HIV in the last 12 months, even though HIV prevalence among people behind bars was about 1.93 per cent, which is nine times higher than the general population, according to the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) report.
Moreover, HIV prevalence among prisoners was comparable to female sex workers in India, who continue to fall under a heavy HIV burden. The findings also established an over-representation of injecting drug users (IDU) in Indian prisons than the general population.
The technical report on HIV sentinel surveillance plus 2021 central prison sites found that the knowledge about HIV/AIDS was much below desired levels among inmates, of which over 59 per cent were convicted and the rest were under trials.
Describing it as a “critical gap and a priority area for future interventions”, the study conducted among 20,695 inmates lodged in 53 central jails in 26 states found that only three out of five HIV-positive were on antiretroviral (ART) drugs.
The findings also indicated sexual activities in prison, with five out of every 100 inmates reporting its prevalence, and only three-fifths reported using condoms with their paid partners. The study found highest HIV prevalence was noted in Mizoram (26 per cent), followed by Punjab (7.5 per cent), Nagaland (4.6 per cent) and Chandigarh (3.5 per cent).
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