At risk for HIV infection: incarcerated women in a county jail in Philadelphia.
This study presents the results of a needs assessment survey conducted with 66 incarcerated women in a large Philadelphia county jail during the winter of 1993. Results indicated that prior to incarceration, these women engaged in very high risk sexual and drug use behaviors, and had experienced a myriad of other problems that may contribute to their risk for HIV infection. Of the 66 women who participated in the study, over three-fourths had used crack cocaine, nearly one-half had traded sex for drugs and money in the six months prior to incarceration, one-third reported a prior history of injection drug use, and one-half report sexual contact with a male partner who injected drugs. In addition, one-fourth of the study sample had been homeless during the year prior to incarceration, one-half reported a prior history of sexual abuse, three-fourths had been physically beaten by a boyfriend or spouse, and nearly one-half had a prior history of syphilis. Although limited in scope, the results of the study have important implications for developing relevant jail-based HIV risk reduction programs for women. The results provide strong evidence for the need for interventions that address not only the HIV-related risk behaviors of incarcerated women, but also the underlying social problems that contribute to their risk of HIV infection.
Bond
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Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, PA 19102-5085, USA.
Semaan
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012940:Social Problems; D012944:Social Support; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health