Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Hepatitis C Virus and Hispanic Criminal Justice Clients: A Missed Opportunity

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To compare the willingness for HCV testing, HCV-knowledge, socio economic status, and HCV related risky behavior among male and female Latino offenders. Participants (n = 201) were recruited from the corrections system in Miami and interviewed. Backward stepwise logistic regression was conducted to compare gender-associated risk. Females (n = 81) were more likely to be engaged in risky sexual and drug behavior compared to males (n = 120). Overall, around 70% of the study population were interested to be tested for HCV if offered with no gender difference (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.4–4.9). However, females were more likely to have lower income (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.5–0.9) and engage in more HCV related risky sexual behaviors (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.3–6.2), despite having better HCV related knowledge in five out of six items (OR 1.5–3.2), but had less crime activity (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.5–0.8). HCV screening among Latino offenders would offer an efficient opportunity to reduce its burden as well as increase knowledge among vulnerable and high-risk population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Koh HK (2010) Viral hepatitis: the secret epidemic: testimony before the Committee on oversight and Governmental Reform. United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Accessed 30 Mar 2018

  2. Armstrong GL, Wasley A, Simard EP, et al. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, 1999 through 2002. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:705–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Spradling PR, Rupp L, Moorman AC, et al. Hepatitis B and C virus infection among 1.2 million persons with access to care: factors associated with testing and infection prevalence. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;55(8):1047–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Tohme RA, Holmberg SD. Is sexual contact a major mode of hepatitis C virus transmission? Hepatology. 2010;52:1497–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Notes from the field. Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infections among young adults-Massachusetts, 2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011;60:1457–8.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Mok J, Pembrey L, Tovo PA, Newell ML. When does mother to child transmission of hepatitis C virus occur? Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2005;90:F156–60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Glaze L, Kaeble D (2014) Correctional populations in the United States, 2013. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC. Accessed 30 Mar 2018

  8. (CDC) (2012) CfDCaP: HIV in Correctional Settings. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/pdf/correctional.pdf. Accessed 1 Mar 2018.

  9. Garcia M, Ritter N. Improving access to services for female offenders returning to the community. Natl Inst Justice J. 2012;269:18–23.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Vescio MF, Longo B, Babudieri S, et al. Correlates of hepatitis C virus seropositivity in prison inmates: a meta-analysis. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008;62:305–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sanchez MJ (2007) Prison’s deadliest inmate, hepatitis C, escaping: Public health workers warn of looming epidemic of “silent killer”. Available from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17615346. Accessed 5 Mar 2018.

  12. Macalino GE, Vlahov D, Dickinson BP, Schwartzapfel B, Rich JD. Community incidence of hepatitis B and C among reincarcerated women. Clin Infect Dis. 2005;41:998–1002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Edlin BR, Eckhardt BJ, Shu MA, Holmberg SD, Swan T. Toward a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of hepatitis C in the United States. Hepatology. 2015;62:1353–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Spaulding AC, Thomas DL. Screening for HCV infection in jails. JAMA. 2012;307(12):1259–60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Spaulding AC, Sharma A, Messina LC, et al. A comparison of liver disease mortality with HIV and overdose mortality among Georgia prisoners and releasees: a 2-decade cohort study of prisoners incarcerated in 1991. Am J Public Health. 2015;105:e51–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnoses of HIV infection among adults and adolescents in metropolitan statistical areas—United States and Puerto Rico, 2016. HIV Surveill Suppl Rep. 2018;23(2). http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/hivsurveillance.html. Accessed 1 Mar 2019.

  17. Ojikutu BO, Srinivasan S, Bogart LM, Subramanian SV, Mayer KH. Mass incarceration and the impact of prison release on HIV diagnoses in the US South. PLoS ONE. 2018;13(6):e0198258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Harzke AJ, Baillargeon J, Paar DP, Pulvino J, Murray OJ. Chronic liver disease mortality among male prison inmates in Texas, 1989–2003. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009;104:1412–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Fishbein M, Ajzen I. Predicting and changing behavior: the reasoned action approach. Routledge: Psychology Press; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Ibanez GE, Agudo M, Martin SS, et al. Offending behavior, drug use, and mental health among foreign-born versus U.S. born latino criminal justice clients. J Immigr Minor Health. 2017;19(3):674–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Martin SS, O’Connell DJ, Inciardi JA, Surratt HL, Maiden KM. Integrating an HIV/HCV brief intervention in prisoner reentry: results of a multisite prospective study. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2008;40:427–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kelly JA, St Lawrence JS, Hood HV, Brasfield TL. An objective test of AIDS risk behavior knowledge: scale development, validation, and norms. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 1989;20:227–34.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hennessey KA, Kim AA, Griffin V, et al. Prevalence of infection with hepatitis B and C viruses and co-infection with HIV in three jails: a case for viral hepatitis prevention in jails in the United States. J Urban Health. 2009;86:93–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Leukefeld C, Oser CB, Havens J, et al. Drug abuse treatment beyond prison walls. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2009;5:24–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Baillargeon JG, Paar DP, Wu H, et al. Psychiatric disorders, HIV infection and HIV/hepatitis co-infection in the correctional setting. AIDS Care. 2008;20:124–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Guydish J, Chan M, Bostrom A, et al. A randomized trial of probation case management for drug-involved women offenders. Crime Delinq. 2011;57:167–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Kim AY, Nagami EH, Birch CE, et al. A simple strategy to identify acute hepatitis C virus infection among newly incarcerated injection drug users. Hepatology. 2013;57:944–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Nijhawan AE, Salloway R, Nunn AS, Poshkus M, Clarke JG. Preventive healthcare for underserved women: results of a prison survey. J Womens Health. 2010;19:17–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HIV risk among adult sex workers in the United States. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/sexworkers.html (2015). Accessed 5 Mar 2018.

  30. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HIV and viral hepatitis. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/populations/pdfs/hivandhep-factsheet.pdf (2014). Accessed 5 Mar 2018.

  31. Beckwith CG, Kurth AE, Bazerman L, et al. Survey of US Correctional Institutions for Routine HCV Testing. Am J Public Health. 2015;105:68–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Spaulding AC, Seals RM, Page MJ, et al. 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:e7558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Harzke AJ, Baillargeon JG, Kelley MF, et al. HCV-related mortality among male prison inmates in Texas, 1994–2003. Ann Epidemiol. 2009;19:582–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Harzke AJ. Regional and global summary estimates of antibody to hepatitis C virus prevalence in detainee populations: seeing the forest and the trees? Hepatology. 2013;58:1197–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. He T, Li K, Roberts, et al. Prevention of hepatitis C by screening and treatment in U.S. prisons. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164(2):84–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Grant Number: R34DA031063 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to Dr. Ibañez and Grant Number K01 AA025992 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to Dr. Cano. Dr. Auf was funded by a fellowship from Florida International University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Human Performance, and Leisure (HHPL), College of Arts and Science (COAS), Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA

    Rehab Auf

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Rehab Auf, Miguel Ángel Cano & Gladys E. Ibañez

  3. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA

    Marah Selim

  4. Center for Drug and Health Studies, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA

    Daniel O’Connell & Steve Martin

Authors
  1. Rehab Auf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Miguel Ángel Cano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marah Selim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Daniel O’Connell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Steve Martin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Gladys E. Ibañez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Dr. Auf conceptualized and formulated the study, conducted the analysis, drafted the initial manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Ibañez conceptualized the main study, supervised data collection, supported the study throughout, contributed to drafting this manuscript, and approved the final draft. Ms. Selim contributed to data analysis, drafting this manuscript and approved the final submission. Dr. Connell, Dr. Martin: conceptualized the main study, supervised data collection, revised and approved the final draft. Dr. Cano contributed to writing this manuscript and approved the final draft.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rehab Auf.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 22 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Auf, R., Cano, M.Á., Selim, M. et al. Hepatitis C Virus and Hispanic Criminal Justice Clients: A Missed Opportunity. J Immigrant Minority Health 22, 701–707 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00931-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00931-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation