 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Anne Mc Intyre, MPH, Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, 1603 W Taylor Street, MC 923, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-814-4846, amcint1@uic.edu, Alice Studzinski, BS, STD Section, Illinois Department of Public Health, 525 West Jefferson, Springfield, IL 62761, and Heidi Beidinger, MPH, Healthy Communities Initiative of St. Joseph County, 401 E. Colfax Ave, South Bend, IN 46617.
BACKGROUND: The incarcerated population is at extremely high risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of STD and HIV/AIDS services (testing, treatment, discharge planning) provided in the 91 Illinois county jails, identify barriers to the provision of services, and compare the results with the county-level surveillance data.
METHODS: The Illinois and Chicago Departments of Public Health and the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health collaborated on a telephone survey of STDs and HIV/AIDS services at the 91 county jails in Illinois. County level surveillance data for the same diseases were collected from the Illinois Department of Public Health for comparison.
RESULTS: Of the 91 jails contacted, 81 (89%) completed the survey. Nearly half (49%) of the facilities reported providing routine testing for STDs and 54% for HIV/AIDS. Of the facilities that do not offer services, cost of services and limited staff time were primary barriers. Fifteen percent, 20%, and 30% of facilities in counties with the highest rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis, respectively, reported no routine STD screening. In counties where syphilis and AIDS case rates were highest, 60% of jails reported no discharge planning programs.
CONCLUSION: In counties with the highest rates of STDs and AIDS, jails do not appear to be providing testing, treatment, and discharge planning services. It is important for correctional facilities and health departments to identify specific barriers to the provision of these services and to develop tailored programs that effectively utilize limited resources.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Correctional Health Care, Access and Services
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.