[Prisoners and tuberculosis. Rejection of chemoprophylaxis]

Inmates under age 25 held in prisons who manifest first degree level health problems demonstrate a degree of rejection towards preventive treatment which periodically requires reconsideration of the methods employed by the interdisciplinary teams in these centers. Our main objective is to evaluate the degree of rejection that these inmates demonstrate towards preventive campaigns against tuberculosis and to try to relate their lack of collaboration to such negative psychosociological factors as drug addiction, immunodeficiency due to HIV, and prolonged prison stays. For this study, a total of 50 inmates having similar characteristics were selected. A high rate of a negative attitude was shown in these circumstances: towards preventive treatment with Isoniacide, in relationship to the degree of immunodeficiency, a rejection of treatment with antiretroviruses and length of prison stay. Nursing programs for penitentiary inmates must take into consideration psychological and sociological aspects.