Preventing HIV Transmission Among Iranian Prisoners: Initial Support for Providing Education on the Benefits of Harm Reduction Practices

Overview

Journal Harm Reduct J

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Pharmacology
Psychiatry

Date 2008 Jun 11

PMID 18541032

Citations 23

Authors

Babak Eshrati

Rahim Taghizadeh Asl

Colleen Anne Dell

Parviz Afshar

Peggy Margaret E Millson

Mohammad Kamali

John Weekes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Harm reduction is a health-centred approach that seeks to reduce the health and social harms associated with high-risk behaviors, such as illicit drug use. The objective of this study is to determine the association between the beliefs of a group of adult, male prisoners in Iran about the transmission of HIV and their high-risk practices while in prison.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2004. The study population was a random selection of 100 men incarcerated at Rajaei-Shahr prison. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Focus group discussions were held at the prison to guide the design of the questionnaire. The relationship between components of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and prisoners' risky HIV-related behaviors was examined.

Results: Calculating Pearson's correlation coefficient, a significant, positive association was found between the benefit component of the HBM and prisoners not engaging in HIV high-risk behaviors.

Conclusion: Educational harm reduction initiatives that promote the effectiveness of strategies designed to reduce the risk of HIV transmission may decrease prisoners' high-risk behaviors. This finding provides initial support for the Iran prison system's current offering of HIV/AIDS harm reduction programming and suggests the need to offer increased education about the effectiveness of HIV prevention practices.

Citing Articles

HIV testing among incarcerated people with a history of HIV-related high-risk behaviours in Iran: Findings from three consecutive national bio-behavioural surveys.

Tavakoli F, Parhizgari N, Shokoohi M, Khezri M, Haghdoost A, Ghasemzadeh I BMC Infect Dis. 2022; 22(1):907.

PMID: 36471282 PMC: 9721074. DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07897-z.

The effect of a theory-based educational program on southern Iranian prisoners' HIV preventive behaviors: a quasi-experimental research.

Hosseini Z, Najafi P, Mohseni S, Aghamolaei T, Dadipoor S BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):1342.

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Investigating the effect of education on man immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome preventive behaviors in vulnerable women living in peripheral neighborhoods: Applications of the health belief model.

Khazaeian S, Navidian A, Sanavi F, Hadipoor L J Educ Health Promot. 2021; 9:302.

PMID: 33426106 PMC: 7774619. DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_325_20.

HIV in Iran: onset, responses, and future directions.

SeyedAlinaghi S, Taj L, Mazaheri-Tehrani E, Ahsani-Nasab S, Abedinzadeh N, McFarland W AIDS. 2020; 35(4):529-542.

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Identification of the necessary data elements to report AIDS: a systematic review.

Shanbehzadeh M, Ahmadi M Electron Physician. 2018; 9(12):5920-5931.

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