Providing Contraceptives In Prisons And Jails For Male And Female Inmates

Providing Contraceptives In Prisons And Jails For Male And Female Inmates

Introduction

Correctional facilities have a unique public health potential to reach medically and otherwise marginalized populations. The specific health needs of incarcerated women have traditionally been overlooked and in part due to the larger numbers of men than women in the jails and prisons of this country. Although 88% of inmates are male , there has been a disproportionate rise in the number of women in correctional facilities and . Despite the fact that 70% of incarcerated women are between the ages of 18 and 39 years , very little research focuses on reproductive health care, and contraception in particular, for women in custody. Nonetheless, the majority of incarcerated women are ultimately reintroduced into mainstream society. The moment of release from jail or prison is a transitional one. For many women, an unplanned pregnancy might interfere with this process of reconstituting their lives. (W. Sabol, T. Minton and P. Harrison, 2006)

One recent study identified a strong need for contraception services among incarcerated women in Rhode Island . Prior unplanned pregnancy and abortion were reported by 84% and 35%, respectively. Only 28% of sexually active incarcerated women had consistently used birth control in the 3 months prior to their arrest. However, 67% of the study population indicated they were very likely to engage in sexual activity with men within 6 months of release, and 55% wanted to start or continue a method while in jail . These same authors also demonstrated that women who are given access to actual birth control methods while in custody were 15 times more likely to initiate contraception than women who were scheduled to follow-up at a community health center after release, where free birth control was provided to them

A formal institutional policy on contraception was noted by only 19% of respondents; 11% of them were unsure if their facility had a policy, and the remainder (70%) indicated that no policy existed. Most (71%) asked women about birth control at some point during their stay. For women who were using a regular form of birth control outside of jail or prison, 55% of subjects responded that these women were not allowed to continue that method while incarcerated.

Similar to the proportion who asked about contraception use, 70% of providers also engaged in some form of contraception counseling. However, most of these discussions occurred upon patient request (57%), with only 11% of respondents providing routine contraception information just prior to release. In contrast to this frequency of counseling, 38% of subjects reported providing women with an actual birth control method, either through dispensing a method or writing a prescription. Oral contraceptive pills were the most frequently counseled (66%) and provided (41%). Although condoms (58%) were also discussed, they were not widely offered.

(W. Sabol, T. Minton and P. Harrison, 2006)

Explanation

The type of facility at which a respondent practiced was associated with provision of contraceptive ...