Table 2 Comparison of the characteristics of participants presenting with primary infection or reinfection at incarceration (viremic group).

From: Incidence and molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus reinfection in prisons in Catalonia, Spain (Re-HCV study)

Characteristics

Primary infection (n = 283) n (%)

Reinfection (n = 44) n (%)

p-value

Age, median (95% interquartile range)

40 (25.0–57.0)

41 (29.0–53.0)

n.s

Gender

 Male

261 (92.2)

43 (97.7)

n.s

 Female

22 (7.8)

1 (2.3)

Foreign origin

134 (47.5)

18 (41.9)

n.s

HIV infection

80 (28.3)

21 (47.7)

0.009

Psychiatric disorder

66 (23.6)

7 (15.9)

n.s

Educational attainment > primary

174 (62.1)

24 (54.6)

n.s

Homeless*

38 (13.7)

16 (36.4)

 < 0.001

Previously incarcerated (≥ 3 times)

145 (51.6)

33 (75.0)

0.013

Sexual orientation

 Heterosexual

270 (96.1)

43 (97.7)

n.s

 Homosexual

5 (1.8)

0 (0)

 Bisexual

6 (2.1)

1 (2.3)

Intravenous drug use at least once during live

235 (83.0)

43 (97.7)

0.011

Intravenous drug use in prison

58 (24.7)

19 (44.2)

0.009

Sharing of needles at least once during live

109 (38.5)

28 (63.6)

0.002

Sharing of needles in prison

29 (27.1)

16 (59.3)

0.002

Sharing of syringes at least once during live

112 (39.7)

30 (68.2)

 < 0.001

Sharing of syringes in prison

29 (27.1)

15 (51.7)

0.012

Sharing of other injection equipment at least once during live

136 (48.1)

28 (63.6)

0.055

Sharing of other injection equipment in prison

33 (24.8)

13 (46.4)

0.021

Practicing front-backloading at least once during live

77 (27.2)

22 (50.0)

0.002

Practicing front-backloading in prison

18 (24.7)

8 (36.4)

n.s

Sharing drugs already prepared to inject at least once during live

138 (48.9)

32 (72.7)

0.003

Sharing drugs already prepared to inject in prison

32 (23.7)

12 (37.5)

n.s

Cocaine snorting at least once during live

241 (85.2)

40 (90.9)

n.s

Cocaine snorting in prison

93 (39.1)

21 (53.9)

0.082

Sharing cocaine snorting straw at least once during live

178 (63.4)

31 (70.5)

n.s

Sharing cocaine snorting straw in prison

68 (38.9)

17 (54.8)

n.s

Piercing or tattooing at least once during live

209 (73.9)

37 (84.1)

n.s

Piercing or tattooing in prison

93 (44.9)

23 (62.2)

0.053

Unprotected sex at least once during live

132 (46.6)

28 (63.6)

0.036

Unprotected sex in prison

16 (12.4)

9 (32.1)

0.01

Currently in treatment for drug addiction

134 (47.5)

29 (65.9)

0.061

Released, on prison furlough, or released under surveillance during the present sentence

27 (9.5)

4 (9.1)

n.s

  1. *Previous 6 months before incarceration.
  2. n.s. not significant.