HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C in Incarcerated Women in a Metropolitan Detention Center in Northeast Brazil
Maria de Souza Barros Neta
Faculty of BioMedicine, Christus University Center, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Renata Mírian Nunes Eleutério
Faculty of BioMedicine, Christus University Center, Fortaleza, Brazil. and Professor Eleutério Laboratory, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Mariana Brito Dantas Castelo Branco
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
José Eleutério Junior *
Department of Health of the Woman, of the Child and Adolescent, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system cells, and causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Incarcerated populations have a recognized increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Objectives: The study was aimed to identify the frequency of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B/C in women incarcerated in a prison in a big city in northeast Brazil.
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study.
Methodology: The sample was composed of incarcerated women in a medium- to high-security prison in a metropolitan region in northeast Brazil. Between January and October 2018, 200 prisoners were interviewed to collect their socio-demographic data. At that time, a drop of peripheral blood was collected to perform syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C rapid tests after informed consent was obtained.
Results: The age of the women ranged from 19 to 62 years old (mean=32.85±10.4). The time of incarceration varied between less than one to 10 years (mean=3.6±2.1). The majority of the women were single (71.5%), not pregnant (97%), mixed race (68.5%), housewives (30.5%) and had an elementary school education (51%). Among the 122 women tested for syphilis, 24 were positive (19.7%). HIV was present in 4 of the 200 tested woman (2%), and hepatitis C was identified in 3 of the 91 tested patients. All 85 patients tested for hepatitis B were negative. When considering the time of incarceration, the results were not significantly different.
Conclusion: Only the frequency of syphilis was high, at almost 20%, which is higher than those observed in other studies from other regions of Brazil and other countries.
Keywords: HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases.