Research

Preventing HIV transmission among Iranian prisoners: Initial support for providing education on the benefits of harm reduction practices

Babak Eshrati¹ , Rahim Taghizadeh Asl² , Colleen Anne Dell³ , Parviz Afshar⁴ , Peggy Margaret E Millson⁵ , Mohammad Kamali⁶ and John Weekes⁷

¹Arak University of Medical Science, Arak, Iran

²United Nations Development Programme, Tehran, Iran

³Department of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada

⁴Health and Correction Deputy of Prison Organization, Tehran, Iran

⁵Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

⁶Iran Medical University, Tehran, Iran

⁷Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

author email corresponding author email

Harm Reduction Journal 2008, 5:21doi:10.1186/1477-7517-5-21

Published:	9 June 2008

Abstract

Background

Harm reduction is a health-centred approach that seeks to reduce the health and social harms associated with high-risk behaviors, such as illicit drug use. The objective of this study is to determine the association between the beliefs of a group of adult, male prisoners in Iran about the transmission of HIV and their high-risk practices while in prison.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2004. The study population was a random selection of 100 men incarcerated at Rajaei-Shahr prison. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Focus group discussions were held at the prison to guide the design of the questionnaire. The relationship between components of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and prisoners' risky HIV-related behaviors was examined.

Results

Calculating Pearson's correlation coefficient, a significant, positive association was found between the benefit component of the HBM and prisoners not engaging in HIV high-risk behaviors.

Conclusion

Educational harm reduction initiatives that promote the effectiveness of strategies designed to reduce the risk of HIV transmission may decrease prisoners' high-risk behaviors. This finding provides initial support for the Iran prison system's current offering of HIV/AIDS harm reduction programming and suggests the need to offer increased education about the effectiveness of HIV prevention practices.