Seroprevalence of HIV Infection and Associated Factors Among Newly Incarcerated Prisoners in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Poor socio-economic condition of prisoners and practices at risk of getting transmissible diseases in most prisons contribute to the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. The objectives of this study were to determine HIV seroprevalence among newly incarcerated persons, to describe their risk behaviors, and to identify factors associated with HIV infection. We conducted a cross-sectional study from January 2014 to February 2014 at the biggest prison of Abidjan called “House of Judgement and Correction of Abidjan” (HJCA). Study population included newly incarcerated persons aged more than 18 years. Overall, 370 people were included after an informed consent. Findings showed that 13% of inmates used drug; 8.3% of them using injectable drugs. The vast majority of respondents (97.3%) experienced sexual intercourse and 31.9% had multiple sexual partners. More than half (50.6%) of respondents did not use condom, and among those who use it, 73.6% used it irregularly. During their last sexual intercourse, 71.8% of respondents did not use condom. Overall, 7.9% of respondents were HIV positive. Factors associated with HIV positive status were history of herpes zoster (adj. OR=16.66, 95% CI: 2.66-104.08, p=0.003), history of STIs (adj. OR=8.82, 95% CI: 3.25-23.95, p<0.001), history of tuberculosis (adj. OR=6.49, 95% CI: 1.06-39.79, p=0.043), and having had more than one sexual partner over the last 12 months (adj. OR=8.11, 95% CI: 1.75-37.51, p=0.007). Promoting safer behaviors, routine HIV screening among prisoners, care for HIV-positive people, and improved living conditions in prisons are needed measures to control HIV / AIDS in prison environment in Ivory Coast.