Epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections among offenders following arrest or incarceration

S.E. Wiehe, M.B. Rosenman, M.C. Aalsma, M.L. Scanlon and J.D. Fortenberry

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 12, e26-e32

Abstract: Objectives. We sought to estimate rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among criminal offenders in the 1 year after arrest or release from incarceration. Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort study of risk of having a positive STI (chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis) or incident-positive HIV test in the 1 year following arrest or incarceration in Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana. Participants were 247 211 individuals with arrest or incarceration in jail, prison, or juvenile detention between 2003 and 2008. Results. Test positivity rates (per 100 000 and per year) were highest for chlamydia (2968) and gonorrhea (2305), and lower for syphilis (278) and HIV (61). Rates of positive STI and HIV were between 1.5 and 2.8 times higher in female than male participants and between 2.7 and 6.9 times higher for Blacks than Whites. Compared with nonoffenders, offenders had a relative risk of 3.9 for chlamydia, 6.6 for gonorrhea, 3.6 for syphilis, and 4.6 for HIV. Conclusions. The 1-year period following arrest or release from incarceration represents a high-impact opportunity to reduce STI and HIV infection rates at a population level.

Keywords: adolescent; adult; aged; child; Chlamydia Infections; crime; female; gonorrhea; HIV Infections; human; Indiana; male; middle aged; prisoner; retrospective study; risk factor; sex difference; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; statistics and numerical data; syphilis; very elderly; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Chlamydia Infections; Crime; Female; Gonorrhea; HIV Infections; Humans; Indiana; Male; Middle Aged; Prisoners; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Syphilis; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302852_6

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302852

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