1 research outputs found
Perceptions Regarding HIV/AIDS and Risky Behaviours Among Prison Inmates in Southwest Region of Cameroon
Prisoners are at exceptional risk of infection with HIV because of the association of injection drug use, tattooing, sex
between men and unprotected sexual intercourse with incarceration. This study described the perceptions regarding HIV/
AIDS and risky behaviours among prison inmates in Kumba in the Southwest region of Cameroon.This was a cross
sectional study, conducted among 232 male prison inmates in Kumba, in December 2015. Data were collected using a
structured pretested questionnaire, and analysed using frequencies, percentages and Chi-square at the level 0.05, using SPSS
version 20 software program. The majority, 178 (76.8%) were between the ages of 25 and 45 years; most, 133 (57.3%) had
primary education and 184 (79.3%) were Christians. Most of them, 125 (53.9%) perceived that prison inmates are prone to
HIV/AIDS, and only 44 (19%) perceived that condoms are available in the prison; 56 (24.1%) perceived that sterile objects
are available in the prison; majority, 187 (80.6%) perceived that sexual intercourse exists in the prison, but only 39 (16.8%)
perceived that condoms are used by inmates. Majority, 136 (58.6%) perceived that tattooing is practised in the prison, and
170 (73.3%) agreed that sexuality education should be provided in the prison. Being of a lower academic level was associated
with an increased perception that prison inmates are prone to HIV/AIDS infection (P=0.030), and also associated with
an increased perception that tattooing is being practised in the prison (P=0.034). These findings call for concerted efforts
by stakeholders to implement strategies to improve the perceptions regarding HIV/AIDS, and to eliminate risky behaviours
among prison inmates that might expose them to HIV infection