HIV In Prisons

Prisons today are pushed to their limits, both state, and federal prisons. Inmates are forced to live in unsanitary, unhealthy, unsafe, and poor conditions. Men and woman should not be made to sleep on floors, sleep in tents outside, or fight for a spot in a long line to shower. This issue needs to be addressed, and some states have proceeded to do so and have had great results.

These women need regular medical surveillance even for the minor things. According to Cynthia Chandler and Carol Kingery, “The dramatic increase in imprisonment in the United States has been accompanied by epidemic rates of HIV among prisoners. Moreover, women currently incarcerated in the U.S. suffer disproportionately higher rates of HIV infection than do free people and male prisoners.” These women need counseling and therapy especially if they have cancer, HIV/ AIDS, or mental illnesses. This neglect can be extremely fetal. Many women have already died because of this; we do not want the numbers to increase. Proper treatment is necessary.

These infectious diseases include: the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Hepatitis C (McVie, 2001). Research shows that inmates are seven to ten times more likely to be carriers of HIV (McVie, 2001). Moreover, inmates are five times higher than the general population to be infected with AIDS (Krebs, 2002). Not only are these diseases spread through unsafe sex or rape, it can be implanted through needles and prison tattoos (McVie, 2001; Krebs, 2002).

Finally, a concern with inadequate health care in prisons is that when prisoners are released, they will spread any contagious diseases and illnesses. They may also leave without having full control of their mental illnesses and that could compound into even larger issues when no longer incarcerated, as their access to society is not restricted.

As a disease, HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a blood-borne virus that is transmitted from person to person via sexual intercourse, mother to child, or intravenous drug paraphernalia. The virus itself causes, usually over a period of time, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. AIDS actually targets the immune system and causes an immunosuppression which makes people who have the virus more susceptible to cancers and infections. This is the most unique feature of the HIV/AIDS virus and is the most deadly since its implications are destructive if not properly treated (Moore 51). The significance of this disease is one that began in the 1980’s and initially was thought to be a virus only found within homosexual communities and was even originally called Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Virus. However, in 1981, it was found that the virus was spreading beyond the gay community when Blacks accounted for 25% of the HIV/AIDs population and a trend began where Blacks continued to contract HIV significantly more than

This population is not one population that the public ridicules so much. However they are in fear of these inmates getting out of prison and transferring the disease without notifying the other person that they are infected with HIV or AIDS. This can be a bigger problem than what people think especially if the partner to the inmate is unaware of the disease and goes to another partner with the disease they now unknowingly carry. This can become a huge threat to society. These inmates need to also know that knowingly having intercourse with someone and knowingly being infected during intercourse without telling the other person can be a felony which could land them back behind bars.

As it was stated before, prison sexual violence can also be performed by paying for sex or sexual favors. There are two types of payment: drugs or benefits. If the prisoner is a drug addict, he or she will need to satisfy his or her addiction, so the addict will have to sell his or her body in order to get money to pay for the drugs which can only be acquired from prisoners who have more power or who belong to a powerful gang or group in prison who can acquire the drugs. Prisons are as micro-societies where all the negative values are exacerbated and the positive ones reduced. As in all societies, there is also a market, illegal and difficult to beat

Next there are the prisoners diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Prison officials must manage the problems and health concerns associated with infected inmates. Within the prison system, not

Having poor heath care within the prison system is something that is very dangerous. It can lead to things such as accidental deaths, worsening pre-existing conditions, and conditions occurring that could have been prevented if the proper care was

This may include gang-affiliation tattooing, unprotected anal sex, and increased trafficking and use of illicit injection-drugs (7). All of these activities greatly magnify the inmate’s risk of contracting HCV due to the social dimensions in a prison environment. In most societies, the prison setting exacerbates existing health conditions of inmates and encourages high-risk behaviours that can lead to HCV transmission and disease

Compared to mental health workers correctional officers are assaulted nearly twice as much (Schenk & Fremouw, 2012). Sexual violence inside of prisons is issue in which the government has put effort in to address with the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 however a study of black men was conducted and 43 % of those men indicated that they have a least heard sexual acts of violence occur inside of the prison (Rowell-Cunsolo, Harrison, & Haile, 2014). Across the United States about 4% of the inmates have been a victim of sexual assault (Daquin, Daigle, & Johnson Listwan, 2016). Other than sexual assault around 32% and up to 66% of inmates have been a victim of some type of physical violence (Daquin, Daigle, & Johnson Listwan, 2016). Also 18% to 49% of inmates have had property stolen from them (Daquin, Daigle, & Johnson Listwan, 2016). Also other factors that can contribute to violence occurring inside of prisons is gang membership. This is usually an identifier for the inmates to know who to attack and who to leave alone. Also sexual predators are subjected to some sort of violence because of the crime that landed them inside of the prison. The amount of time that you spend in prison can contribute to whether you become a victim or not (Ross, 2012). This is why prison overcrowding has become such a major problem for violence the

Because of the risk factors involved in the correctional settings, I believe inmates should be tested for HIV. In details, Clark (2015) included the environmental and behavioral factors – overcrowding, sexually active individuals, lack of access to condoms- pose prisoners in danger of contracting HIV and other communicable diseases. In fact, Clark (2015) added that a study showed 90% juveniles engaged in HIV risk sexual activity and as much as 45% inmates were reported to be sexually assaulted. After investigating on the nature of the inmates’ situation, a population nurse should know what resources are available for them and realistic ways to treat them while incarcerated. Similar to what the Centers for Disease Prevention

Correctional inmates engage in drug-related and sexual risk behaviors, and the transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases occurs in correctional facilities. However, there is uncertainty about the extent of transmission, and hyperbolic descriptions of its extent may further stigmatize inmates and elicit punitive responses. Whether infection was acquired within or outside correctional facilities, the prevalence of HIV and

HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999,

As mentioned above the spread of HIV among inmates not only happens within prison facilities but out in society too. There is a growing concern with inmates returning or first time entering prisons who are HIV positive. Many HIV infected people are known drug users that live their live mainly on the streets. They are also commonly the ones who use drugs intravenously, or who participate in unprotected sex not only on the streets but in prison as well. When you have people living life on the streets and strung out on drugs they are more likely going to end up in jail or prison because of their habits (Cotten-Oldenburg, et al., 1997). Women are highly susceptible to contract HIV when they are involved with being sexually promiscuous on the streets.