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Prisoners: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Answer

This information is not collected centrally. A recent study of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection in young male inmates in the United Kingdom found that 13 per cent of new inmates tested positive for chlamydia¹. Also, data collected by the National Chlamydia Screening Programme in 49 prisons, where more than 1,100 screens were performed between April 2005-March 2006, found a similar prevalence rate of infection of 12 per cent. This is higher than the prevalence in similar groups in the community and identifies prisoners as a high-risk group for infection. The last major study of HIV prevalence in prisoners in England and Wales found that of 3,942 prisoners tested, 0.4 per cent were infected with HIV, 8 per cent with hepatitis B and 7 per cent with hepatitis C². "Sources""¹ The first point prevalence study of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection in young male inmates in the UK.""Menon-Johansson, A.S., Winston, A., Matthews, G., Portsmouth, S., Daniels, D.""International Journal of STD & AIDS, Volume 16, Number 12, December 2005, pp. 799-801""² Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C antibodies in prisoners in England and Wales: a national survey.""Weild AR, Gill ON, Bennett D, Livingstone SJM, Parry JV, Curran L. (2000). Communicable Disease and Public Health 2000;3:121-6."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

4133; 692 c245-6WA

Session

2006-07

Related items

Prisoners: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Written questions
House of Lords

Subjects

HIV/AIDS Prisoners Sexually transmitted infections

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk