Maryland Inmates' Knowledge of HIV-1 Transmission and Prevention: A Comparison with the U.S. General Population

• NCJ Number: 128270
• Journal: Journal of Prison and Jail Health Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (1990) Pages: 45-54
• Author(s): D D Celentano; F Brewer; J Sonnega; D Vlahov
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 10 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Butterworth Pty Ltd
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented in part at the First International Symposium on Education and Communication on AIDS, Ixtapa, Mexico, October 11, 1988.

Annotation

Survey results on general knowledge of AIDS and HIV transmission and prevention were compared between a random sample of over 1700 men surveyed by the National Center for Health Statistics and 210 newly incarcerated male inmates in Maryland.

Abstract

The results demonstrated that the sample of inmates was at least as knowledgeable about AIDS a the general population. While the data did not allow a correlation between individual inmate's drug use history with self-reported knowledge, the authors speculate that the high degree of awareness and significantly higher perceived risk of HIV transmission among inmates was due to the large number of intravenous drug users in that population. This confirms earlier studies that indicate a high level of AIDS knowledge among drug users. 2 tables and 17 references (Author abstract modified)