Coinfections by HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in imprisoned injecting drug users

In order to know the prevalence and risk factors for coinfections by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among injecting drug users (IDUs), a cross-sectional study was carri ed out in two prisons of the province of Cantabria, northern Spain. Three h undred and sixty-two IDU inmates were recruited. All inmates were interview ed and their blood tested for HIV, HBV and HCV. Crude and multiple risk fac tor adjusted for (by polychotomous logistic regression) odds ratios were ca lculated. Prevalence of HBV-HCV coinfection (42.5%) was higher than HIV-HBV -HCV coinfection (37.3%), whereas monoinfections were very uncommon (overal l: 13%). Long-term injectors and reincarceration were the foremost risk fac tors for both coinfections, showing a trend between the degree of associati on and the number of viruses infecting a patient. No significant relationsh ip between coinfection status and sexual practices was observed. The result s related to coinfections are consistent with previous studies of prevalenc e and risk factors for HIV, HBV and HCV, in indicating that the high rates of coinfections among IDU inmates emphasise the need to harm-reduction poli cy across prisons in Spain.