Abstract
The prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is high among women entering corrections facilities. Screening for STDs in these facilities, however, is difficult because of the large number of persons admitted each day and the frequent shortage of medical staff and examination space. New, sensitive urine tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia have made screening practical outside of medical settings. To assess the feasibility of screening women in corrections facilities for chlamydial and gonococcal infection using urine tests and to determine the prevalences of these infections, the Chicago Department of Public Health and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) began testing women and adolescent females entering the Cook County Jail and the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago and the Jefferson County Jail and the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center in Birmingham, respectively, in 1998. The San Francisco Department of Public Health has been testing women at the San Francisco County jails for chlamydial and gonococcal infections using urine tests since 1996 and adolescent females at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center since 1997. This report summarizes the findings for testing incarcerated women in 1998 in the three cities; preliminary results indicate that, in these facilities, testing for chlamydial and gonococcal infections is feasible and that a high percentage of women test positive for these infections.
Highlights
Bidis are small, brown, hand-rolled cigarettes primarily made in India and other southeast Asian countries[1] consisting of tobacco wrapped in a tendu or temburni leaf (Diospyros melanoxylon)
Anecdotal reports indicate that bidi use was first observed during the mid1990s and seems to be widespread among youth and racial/ethnic minority adolescents
This report summarizes preliminary data collected from a convenience sample of adolescents surveyed during March and early April
Summary
TOBACCO USE IS THE LEADING PREVENTable cause of death in the United States. Bidis are small, brown, hand-rolled cigarettes primarily made in India and other southeast Asian countries[1] consisting of tobacco wrapped in a tendu or temburni leaf (Diospyros melanoxylon). FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION external validity of this study may be limited by convenience sampling and may not represent the prevalence of bidi use among all students in these schools and communities. This investigation was the first in the United States to estimate the prevalence of bidi smoking among students in grades seven through 12. The findings on prevalence, knowledge, and attitudes, especially if they are replicated in other communities, may demonstrate the need for actions to curtail youth access to bidis similar to measures for limiting access to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Additional research is needed to assess other factors affecting the use of novel tobacco products such as bidis, including how restrictions on access and advertising are being enforced, how pricing affects use of these products, the application of federal and state excise taxes, and appropriate labeling of these products with the Surgeon General’s health warnings regarding tobacco use
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