J Korean Med Sci.  2021 Apr;36(14):e92. 10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e92.

High Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Inmates in Korean Correctional Facilities

• Choi S
• Lee E
• Bang JH

• KMID: 2514902
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e92

Abstract

Background
Epidemiological data are crucial in designing policies for the control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. There is a lack of data on the epidemiology of HIV in Korean correctional facilities such as jails and prisons.
Methods
Clinical characteristics of the study population were collected through a medical record review.
Results
The number of people with HIV infection were 83 and the HIV infection prevalence in correctional facilities of Korea was 0.15%. Among them, 10 (12.0%) were diagnosed with the infection when they were incarcerated. The number of drug users was 38 (45.8%). Syphilis-HIV coinfection was observed in 21 (25.3%) patients. Individuals from the group comprising the drug users were more likely to belong to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community, and had a higher incidence of psychological disorders (31.6% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.029; 50.0% vs. 28.9%, P = 0.049, respectively).
Conclusion
Inmates of correctional facilities showed a five times higher prevalence of HIV infection in Korea, nearly half of whom were drug users.

Keyword

HIV; Prevalence; Prisons; Drug Users; Republic of Korea; Epidemiology

Reference

1. World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on HIV infection and AIDS in prisons. Updated 2020. Accessed November 12, 2020. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/58902.

2. Spaulding AC, Seals RM, Page MJ, Brzozowski AK, Rhodes W, Hammett TM. HIV/AIDS among inmates of and releasees from US correctional facilities, 2006: declining share of epidemic but persistent public health opportunity. PLoS One. 2009; 4(11):e7558. PMID: 19907649.

3. Statistics Korea. Status of admission of Korean correctional facilities. Updated January 17, 2020. Accessed November 12, 2020. https://www.index.go.kr/potal/main/EachDtlPageDetail.do?idx_cd=1739.

4. Korea Centers for Disease Control. 2019 HIV/AIDS status annual report. Updated May 1, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2020. http://www.kdca.go.kr/npt/biz/npp/portal/nppPblctDtaView.do?pblctDtaSeAt=1&pblctDtaSn=2155.

5. UNAIDS. Many prisoners are lacking basic HIV services, 2019. Updated October 28, 2019. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2019/october/20191028_prisoners-lacking-basic-hiv-services.

6. Kim JM, Choi JY, Jeong WY, Seong H, Kim SW, Kim WJ, et al. Mode of human immunodeficiency virus transmission in Korea: the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study. Korean J Med. 2018; 93(4):379–386.

7. Lee E, Kim J, Bang JH, Lee JY, Cho SI. Association of HIV-syphilis coinfection with optimal antiretroviral adherence: a nation-wide claims study. AIDS Care. 2020; 32(5):651–655. PMID: 31690082.

8. Stoltey JE, Cohen SE. Syphilis transmission: a review of the current evidence. Sex Health. 2015; 12(2):103–109. PMID: 25702043.

9. GBD 2015 HIV Collaborators. Estimates of global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and mortality of HIV, 1980-2015: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet HIV. 2016; 3(8):e361–87. PMID: 27470028.

10. Lee E, Kim J, Lee JY, Bang JH. Estimation of the number of HIV infections and time to diagnosis in the Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2020; 35(6):e41. PMID: 32056401.