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HIV (Prisons)

01 January 1991

HIV (Prisons)
artdoc May=1991
House of Commons written answer 24.7.89 Cols.491-2

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home
Department how many prisoners arc known to be HIV Positive;
and in which prisons they are held.

Mr. Douglas Hogg: On 30 June 1989, 63 prisoners were
known to be HIV antibody positive from tests carried out
before or after they came into custody. Of these
prisoners,nine were located in establishments in the north
region, 10 in the Midland region, five in the south-west
region and 39 in the south-east region. For reasons of
medical confidentiality, it is not our practice to disclose
tile number Of current cases in individual establishments.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home
Department (1) how many tests for HIV antibodies were carried
out in prisons in England and Wales in the last year for which
figures arc available; and how many were positive;
(2) what steps are taken to encourage prisoners to
volunteer for HIV antibody testing;
(3)what steps are taken to safeguard the confidentiality
of the results of HIV positive antibody tests in prisons.

Mr. Douglas Hogg: HIV antibody tests arc freely available
to prisoners, as they are to people in the outside community.
Whether a test is advised in an individual case is a matter
for the clinical discretion of the prison medical officer. In
the 12 months ended 30 June 1989, 30 positive results were
reported from tests carried out after the prisoners concerned
came into custody., Negative results are not reported.
Medical officers and their health care staff apply the normal
rules of medical confidentiality to the test results and
related diagnoses.