A Preliminary Ethnography of HIV-Positive Women in Dade County Jails

Abstract

As the population of women in jails and prisons in the United States has increased in recent years, so has interest in directing health services, social support, and education to this population more effectively. One of the major health problems of all imprisoned populations today is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV seroprevalence rates are often higher for women than for men in correctional facilities, and the rates are also higher in municipal jail systems than in state prison systems. Jails and prisons need to be prepared to deal with the health needs of their growing HIV-positive population. In addition, the social and cultural factors associated with high-risk behaviors for HIV need to be identified for the inmate population so that jail and prison health services and educational programs can better prevent further transmission of the disease.