Prisoner health: HIV infection and other blood-borne viral infections.

All prisoners should be entitled to the same standards of health care as the general population. This is the principle of equivalence. Inmates who are physically or mentally ill, addicted to substances, or disabled should receive equivalent care to what is expected of the NHS. There are a number of variations and inequalities in the health services that prisoners receive across the UK. A number of prisons have no policies in place for HIV, hepatitis C or sexual health. The prevalence of HIV is significantly higher in the prison population than it is in the wider community. This article considers and outlines the important principle of equivalence and the needs of the prison population in relation to HIV infection and other blood-borne virus infections. Methods used to minimize risk are described and the importance of development, implementation and evaluation of harm minimization strategies are discussed. The term 'prison' in this article is used to identify all places of detention in England and the term 'prisoner' is used to describe all adults who are held in such places. Prison services and healthcare provision in other UK countries are also outlined.