BMJ 1995;310:1264 (13 May)

Letters

HIV infection in prisons

Most drug injectors stop injecting on entry to prison

EDITOR,--To assess the wider implications of the recent outbreak of HIV infection in Glenochil prison1 2 it is important to refer to the situation in other prisons. Previous research in Scottish prisons indicates the following basic principles: the extent and pattern of injecting and needle sharing vary among prisons; that most people who inject before imprisonment stop injecting when they enter prison; and that the minority who inject in prison are much more likely to share injecting equipment than are drug injectors in the community.3 4

Drug services provided in prisons should take account of the finding that while there is a high level of sharing among those who inject in prison, most users stop injecting on entry to prison. It seems circumspect, therefore, initially to introduce options such as cleaning fluids, advice on reducing harm, and counselling in parallel with programmes offering . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Outbreak of HIV infection in a Scottish prison
Avril Taylor, David Goldberg, John Emslie, John Wrench, Laurence Gruer, Sheila Cameron, James Black, Barbara Davis, James McGregor, Edward Follett, Janina Harvey, John Basson, and James McGavigan
BMJ 1995 310: 289-292. [Abstract] [Full Text]

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