Positive Transitions (POST): Evaluation of an HIV Prevention Intervention for HIV-Positive Persons Releasing from Correctional Facilities

AIDS Behav. 2015 Jun;19(6):1061-9. doi: 10.1007/s10461-014-0879-8.

Abstract

People with HIV who are released from custody frequently do not maintain the viral suppression and other health benefits achieved while incarcerated. This study was conducted to provide preliminary evidence of efficacy of an intervention to reduce HIV risk behaviors and increase use of HIV medical services following release from custody. People with HIV were recruited from San Francisco County jails, San Quentin State Prison and the California Medical Facility (Vacaville, CA), and randomly assigned to the "standard of care" or POST intervention. POST consisted of 4 sessions pre-release and 2 sessions post-release, focusing on HIV prevention and access to care. Behavioral data were obtained for the 3 months before incarceration and 3 months after release. Although POST participants reported a statistically significant increase in receiving health care at HIV clinics (62.5-84.4 %), there were no significant differences between the POST and control participants with respect to any primary outcomes.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use*
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Continuity of Patient Care / organization & administration*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / therapy
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Prisoners*
  • Prisons
  • Program Evaluation / methods*
  • Risk Reduction Behavior*
  • Risk-Taking
  • San Francisco
  • Viral Load
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents