Abstract
Objective
Women incarcerated in local jails have pregnancy and sexual health needs, yet little
information is available about what services are provided and how jail administrators
prioritize this care. Our objective was to document jails’ provision of pregnancy
and sexual health services in four states in the Midwest.
Methods
We invited all jail administrators (N = 347) in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska to participate in a web-based survey
conducted from November 2017 to October 2018. We asked administrators which pregnancy
and sexual health services they offered and to rate the importance of offering services.
Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.
Results
The survey response rate was 55% (192/347). Jails most often provided pregnancy testing
(n = 116 [60%]) and distribution of prenatal vitamins (n = 85 [44%]). Sexually transmitted infection treatment was offered at 23% of jails
(n = 45). Larger, accredited jails located in urban areas and with high numbers of clinical
providers on staff were more likely to provide sexual health services. Jails with
privately contracted health care were more likely to provide pregnancy services compared
with other entities providing medical care. The most prioritized sexual health service
was sexually transmitted infection testing, with 39% of administrators believing it
was important. Only 6% of administrators responded that contraception was important.
Conclusions
Local jails in the Midwest do not meet the basic reproductive and sexual health needs
of women. Provision of these services is not a priority for jail administrators. Appropriate
partnerships could engage administrators and increase the availability of services
to meet the needs of women in jail.
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Biography
Ashlyn Lipnicky, MPH, was a Research Assistant on the Sexual Health Empowerment team at University of Kansas School of Medicine. She began medical school in summer 2021.
Biography
Sierra Stites, MPH, is a Research Associate on the Sexual Health Empowerment team at University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Biography
Carolyn Sufrin, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is author of the book Jailcare and a long-time researcher of women's health in jails.
Biography
Jennifer K. Bello, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She is a reproductive health researcher and physician in jails and substance abuse treatment facilities.
Biography
Rebecca Shlafer, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School who has expertise in doula care for women in jails and prisons in the United States.
Biography
Patricia J. Kelly, PhD, MPH, APRN, Professor of Nursing at Thomas Jefferson University, has been a family health nurse practitioner for 30 years, and spent 25 years working as a jail health researcher.
Biography
Megha Ramaswamy, PhD, MPH, is a Professor of Population Health at University of Kansas School of Medicine, where she leads the Sexual Health Empowerment team (www.kumc.edu/she); she is principal investigator of this project.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 09, 2022
Accepted:
July 21,
2022
Received in revised form:
July 10,
2022
Received:
June 4,
2021
Footnotes
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, United States, National Cancer Institute, United States, grant (R21 CA204767) awarded to the senior author. The funding body had no role in the design of the study; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; or in the writing of the manuscript.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, George Washington University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
