International journal of prisoner health
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Int J Prison Health · Sep 2017
Universal opt-out screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) within correctional facilities is an effective intervention to improve public health.
Purpose Worldwide efforts to identify individuals infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) focus almost exclusively on community healthcare systems, thereby failing to reach high-risk populations and those with poor access to primary care. In the USA, community-based HCV testing policies and guidelines overlook correctional facilities, where HCV rates are believed to be as high as 40 percent. This is a missed opportunity: more than ten million Americans move through correctional facilities each year. ⋯ Findings Current variability in facility-level testing programs results in inconsistent testing levels across correctional facilities, and therefore makes estimating the actual number of HCV-infected adults in the USA difficult. The authors argue that universal opt-out testing policies ensure earlier diagnosis of HCV among a population most affected by the disease and is more cost-effective than selective testing policies. Originality/value The commentary explores the current limitations of selective testing policies in correctional systems and provides recommendations and implications for public health and correctional organizations.
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Int J Prison Health · Sep 2017
The furthest left behind: the urgent need to scale up harm reduction in prisons.
Purpose Raise awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) on prisoners worldwide and the need for key harm reduction services such as needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy in prisons offer practical recommendations to assist policy makers in implementing or scaling up these services. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This study is a desk review of existing data and evidence on HIV, HCV and harm reduction in prisons, analysis of political barriers and formulation of key policy recommendations. ⋯ Authorities must also work to remove obstacles to the implementation of harm reduction services in prisons, enhance the monitoring and evaluation of laws, policies and programmes relating to HIV, HCV and drugs in prison settings, and recognise access to harm reduction in prisons as a fundamental human right. Until these obstacles are addressed, the world will not meet the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating HIV and HCV by 2030. Originality/value More than just a desk review, this policy brief provides a political analysis of the harm reduction crisis in prisons and offers clear-cut recommendations for policy makers.