Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, has not only posed a major challenge to modern medical science but has also emerged as a serious public health concern and this does not preclude prison inmates. To date, the Philippines is one of the countries with increasing HIV cases reported. Among these cases identified were those who have risk behaviors such as males having sex with males (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), and injecting drug users (IDU). Unfortunately, these risk behaviors are also found inside the prison. This study was designed to investigate the level of HIV and STI-related knowledge, attitudes, and risky behaviors among male prison inmates in San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm – Bureau of Corrections, Zamboanga City, Philippines. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted. The sample for the study consisted of 210 inmates who have been randomly stratified from the three major levels of security in prison: maximum, medium, and minimum (70 per group). Stratified random sampling technique was adopted to obtain the sample for the study. A researcher-administered questionnaire modified and patterned from the Integrated HIV Behavioral and Serological Surveillance (IHBSS, Philippines) and from the countries Georgia and Croatia was used. Data were collected from respondents by the trained male respondents from the Save the Children Organization – Philippines. Data showed that the level of knowledge and attitudes of HIV and STI were low among inmates with only 27.6% and 26.2%, respectively. Risk behaviors of the inmates showed certain percentages of inmates who are practicing MSM, sharing syringes, sharing razors, and no condom use during sexual intercourse. Putting altogether the low level of knowledge and attitudes, and practicing risky behaviors, it can be concluded from this study that prison inmates could be at risk in acquiring these infections. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that efforts must be strengthened in the form of health education to help create and sustain HIV and STI awareness amongst prison inmates.

Keyword: Human immunodeficiency virus HIV Sexually transmitted infections Knowledge, attitudes and risky behaviors Prison inmates