ABSTRACT
Based on the model of directly observed therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis, we implemented an uncontrolled pilot program of modified DOT to increase adherence to HAART. Participants met every weekday with an outreach worker who observed them taking the morning dose of HAART. Thirty-seven patients with a history of poor adherence were enrolled and followed for a mean duration of 10 months. The program was feasible and well accepted by the participants. Self-reported adherence to nonobserved doses improved, and those who remained in the program for a year (n = 18) demonstrated a mean 1.53-log decrease from baseline in plasma HIV RNA level.
Subject(s)
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Patient Compliance , Adult , Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active/psychology , Drug Administration Schedule , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Male , Pilot ProjectsABSTRACT
Our objective was to characterize the clinical presentation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among incarcerated women in a program that provides HIV testing and primary care to all state prisoners in Rhode Island. A retrospective medical chart review on all HIV-seropositive women who were incarcerated between 1989 and 1994 and had at least two medical visits with an HIV medical care provider was used. At the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institution (ACI), under mandatory testing laws between 1989 and 1994, 28% (172 of 623) of all women were identified with HIV infection. Of the 172 women who tested seropositive in prison, 110 were included in the study. Of the 110 women followed, 84% reported injection drug use (IDU) as their primary risk factor, and 30% reported both IDU and sex work. The median CD4 count was 596/mm3, with 60% having a CD4 count >500 cells/mm3. The most common medical conditions were vaginal candidiasis, oral candidiasis, and bronchitis. Antiretroviral therapy was well accepted and followed community standards. Continuity of medical care after release was facilitated by the same physician caring for the patient in the community setting, with 83% of women following up for HIV care after release. The medical conditions noted reflect that these women are early in the course of their HIV disease when they are initially diagnosed. This comprehensive program in Rhode Island's state prison plays a central role in the diagnosis of HIV-seropositive women and provides counseling, primary medical and gynecological care, and linkage to community resources after release.
Subject(s)
Comprehensive Health Care , HIV Infections/epidemiology , HIV Seropositivity , Prisoners , Adult , Counseling , Female , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Rhode Island/epidemiology , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Prior to release from the Rhode Island state prison, women at the highest risk for reincarceration and HIV infection are assigned to the Women's HIV/Prison Prevention Program (WHPPP), a discharge program designed to reduce the likelihood of reincarceration and HIV infection. Candidates for the WHPPP must meet at least one of three criteria: intravenous drug use or crack use, commercial sex work, or a history of prison recidivism with poor educational history and poor employment prospects. While incarcerated, the program participant develops a relationship with a physician and a social worker and establishes an individualized discharge plan. After release, the same physician and social worker continue to work with the client and assist an outreach worker in implementing the discharge plan. Data were collected from questionnaires administered to 78 women enrolled in the WHPPP between 1992 and 1995. The population in this program was primarily composed of ethnic minorities (55%), 25-35 years of age (55%), unmarried (90%), had children (72%), and displayed a variety of HIV risk behaviors. The WHPPP recidivism rates were compared with those of a mostly white (65%), similarly aged (51% were between 25 and 35 years of age) historical control group of all women incarcerated in Rhode Island in 1992. The intervention group demonstrated lower recidivism rates than the historical control group at 3 months (5% versus 18.5%, p = 0.0036) and at 12 months (33% versus 45%, p = 0.06). Assuming that recidivism is a marker for high-risk behavior, participation in the WHPPP was associated with a reduction in recidivism and in the risk of HIV disease in this very high risk group of women.