Abstract
Background:
In the context of health practices and policies to face HIV infection, the population deprived of liberty is a priority in the design of actions and strategies to qualify health care.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to describe the sociodemographic and clinical profile of people living with HIV in prison.
Method:
This is a descriptive study carried out in six prisons in Ribeirão Preto region, Brazil. The study population comprised 85 subjects with HIV deprivation of liberty in 2015. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results:
Of the interviewees, 50.6% were single, 31.8% were married, and 45.9% were brown. Regarding education, 70.6% had elementary I and II. Regarding sexual practice, 44.7% reported sexual intercourse in the last year. As for HIV, 50.6% obtained the diagnosis in prison, 84.7% were under medical supervision, and 78.8% were using ART. Regarding health, 65.9% had anxiety, agitation, irritability, and restlessness; 63.5% had sadness and discouragement; and 51.8% had weakness, tiredness, and malaise.
Conclusion:
There was a predominance of people with characteristics similar to those of the Brazilian prison population. It was identified conditions that could potentialize the instability and aggravation of HIV infection, and the majority of people were undergoing specialized medical care.
Keywords:
prisons; HIV; health profile