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Inmates of two men’s and two women’s prisons in Victoria are set to receive condoms and dental dams some five years after the suggestion was made by the Commonwealth ombudsman as a way to curb the spread of disease. The Justice Department determination, endorsed by the state government, places Victoria among the last Australian states to implement the practice. Condoms were made accessible in New South Wales jails upwards of ten years ago. A University of NSW report released in April notes that 7 percent of male inmates and one-third of female inmates in NSW and Queensland acknowledge engaging in intercourse with a fellow inmate.
“It’s about time,” said Victorian AIDS Council Executive Director Mike Kennedy. “This is a very sensible public health measure.”
“The real question is why has it taken so long?,” continued John Ryan, CEO of the health policy organization Anex. “Almost 30,000 Australians are in prison at any one time. Many of them return to the community and their families after a short time. [This program] will have the effect of protecting the health of the larger community.”
Corrections and Justice Department officials worked collaboratively subsequent to the ombudsman’s suggestion to educate inmates on protected sex and safely discarding condoms, and to address jail personnel’s misgivings regarding handling disposed condoms.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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