In prisons, disease can spread quickly among inmates in close quarters. The Los Angeles County prison system reports 65 new cases of HIV each month, and spend $2 million on medication for the disease annually. Nationally, it’s estimated that about 2% of prisoners are HIV positive. Preventing the spread of HIV in prisons is important not only to the health of the inmates, but to the public too, because prisoners are likely to spread the disease once released.
In LA County, they are testing a program to distribute condoms to inmates in hopes of containing HIV infection. Few states in the country distribute condoms to prisoners, probably because sex is not allowed behind bars in the first place. Giving out condoms may be seen as condoning the act, or at least facilitating it.
In California, past attempts at statewide distribution of condoms to prisoners have met political resistance and fizzled out. But in the few cases it’s been tried, the programs have been successful. The reported rates of safe sex have increased in those instances. With CA trying to cut costs across the board, here is an example where a small investment can actually save money associated with treating HIV positive inmates.
Read the story about the issue in the LA TImes.
