To assess the prevalence of blood-borne viral infections in prisons in Belgium, screening will be executed in several prisons in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia to obtain a geographical representative distribution. Upon informed consent screening will be performed using whole capillary blood (finger prick testing) with three different tests for HCV Ab, HBsAg and HIV. Screening will be performed first. While awaiting the test result (15-20min), the participant can fill out a questionnaire (together with the study nurse), concerning risk factors for HCV, HBV and HIV infection. This questionnaire is filled out directly online, and will be immediately implemented in the encoded database. The database is set-up according to the rules of good clinical practice. (Castor EDC software). The results will be filled out immediately by the prison staff in this database after it is filled out by the participant, minimizing the risk of displacement of test results.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
SCREENING
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3,045
rapid finger prick test for HCV Ab, HBsAg and HIV and a questionnaire
UZ Gent
Ghent, Belgium
Hasselt University
Hasselt, Belgium
Number of participants with HCV Ab+ (Hepatitis C Virus Antibody)
test using whole capillary blood (finger prick testing)
Time frame: day 1
Number of participants with HBsAg+ (Hepatitis B surface Antigen)
test using whole capillary blood (finger prick testing)
Time frame: day 1
Number of participants with HIV Ab+ (human immunodeficiency virus antibody)
test using whole capillary blood (finger prick testing)
Time frame: day1
.Prevalence of blood-borne viral infections in Belgian prisons
number of HCV Ab+/number of screened prisoners by finger prick * number of HBsAg+/number of screened prisoners by finger prick * number of HIV Ab+/number of screened prisoners by finger prick
Time frame: day 1
5. Questionnaire to Identify risk factors associated with the aforementioned blood borne viral infections (hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV) in prison
i. Combine results from positive finger prick test with questionnaire regarding sociodemographic factors, migration, risk factors for blood born viruses (sexual contacts, incarceration, drug use)
Time frame: day 1
Analysis of uptake counselling by physician in prison
Percentage of patients with a positive finger prick test who attend a consultation by the prison physician in relation of total tested positive on finger prick
Time frame: day 1
Analysis of uptake of anti(retro)viral treatment
percentage of positive clients who started treatment in relation of total of positive clients needing treatment
Time frame: day 1
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