Risk factors for monoinfections and coinfections with HIV, hepatitis B andhepatitis C viruses in northern Spanish prisoners

A cross-sectional study was conducted in prisons of Cantabria (northern Spa in) from June 1992 to December 1994. Inmates were asked to participate in a survey on prevalence and risk factors for monoinfections and coinfections with HIV, HBV and HCV. Crude and multiple odds ratios of risk factors were calculated (by polychotomous logistic regression). Prevalence of coinfectio ns was higher than that of monoinfections. IDU risk factors were the main i ndependent variables associated with monoinfections and coinfections with t hese agents. The strength of association increased with the degree of coinf ection for IDU risk factors and penal status, e.g. duration of injecting dr ug use for more than 5 years yielded an adjusted OR ranging from 1.3 (95 % CI: 0.4-5.1) for HBV monoinfection to 180 (95 % CI: 61.0-540.0) for HIV-HBV -HCV coinfection. In comparison, sexual behaviours were less important than IDU risk factors.