Posts
Although sex in prison is forbidden,
the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, is
prevalent. However, a recent report from the US Justice Department’s Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS) states that the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths
inside prisons has decreased within the past decade. According to the report,
the rate of AIDS-related deaths among all state and federal prisoners dropped
by an average of approximately 16 percent each year between 2001 and 2010.
New York, California, Florida, and
Texas house more than half of all state inmates with HIV/AIDS, and New York
prisons hold the highest rate of inmates with HIV/AIDS, with about 6 percent,
followed by inmates in Louisiana, Maryland, and Florida.
The report attributes the decline of
HIV/AIDS-related deaths in prison, at least in part, to a decrease in the
number of African-American inmates over the age of 35. For example, the number
of HIV/AIDS-related deaths among all state prisoners dropped from 89 in 2009 to
69 in 2010.
Many counselors argue that while the
latest BJS report is encouraging, more could be done to eliminate the spread of
HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted diseases in prison. For
example, prisons are forbidden from distributing condoms to inmates. Manhattan
HIV CARE Network Program Director Jose Martin Garcia Orduna said that
professionals often fail to give HIV-positive inmates the adequate health care
and support systems necessary to remain well in prison and to successfully
re-enter society.
To view the complete report “HIV in
Prison 2001–2010,” visit the Bureau of Justice Statistics at http://www.bjs.gov.
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
