Difference between revisions of "HIV in Prison"
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The negligence that is inevitable when prisons are over capacity causes many more serious issues such as vast food deprivation and extreme hunger. Many times, if the HIV positive prisoners are fortunate enough to have access to medications, they have major difficulties taking their medicine because of their malnourishment.<ref>http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/07/23/hiv-and-tb-prison-crisis-southern-africa</ref> The immense lack of sustenance also leads prisoners to resort to desperate acts such as exchanging sexual acts for food. | The negligence that is inevitable when prisons are over capacity causes many more serious issues such as vast food deprivation and extreme hunger. Many times, if the HIV positive prisoners are fortunate enough to have access to medications, they have major difficulties taking their medicine because of their malnourishment.<ref>http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/07/23/hiv-and-tb-prison-crisis-southern-africa</ref> The immense lack of sustenance also leads prisoners to resort to desperate acts such as exchanging sexual acts for food. | ||
| − | The lack of medical care and supplies is a major detriment caused by overcrowding. In many prisons, medical aid is not readily available. In fact, according to a 2008 Human Rights Report, Tanzania has no active programs focused to aid the 9.2% of prisoners that are HIV positive.<ref>http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/daily-reports/2009/april/29/dr00058252.aspx?referrer=search</ref> Moreover, the access to and spread of information and education is poor resulting in the seldom, and even refused, distribution of condoms in prisons because of the belief that it will encourage homosexuality.<ref>http://www.plusnews.org/IndepthMain.aspx?ReportId=71089&IndepthId=48< | + | The lack of medical care and supplies is a major detriment caused by overcrowding. In many prisons, medical aid is not readily available. In fact, according to a 2008 Human Rights Report, Tanzania has no active programs focused to aid the 9.2% of prisoners that are HIV positive.<ref>http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/daily-reports/2009/april/29/dr00058252.aspx?referrer=search</ref> Moreover, the access to and spread of information and education is poor resulting in the seldom, and even refused, distribution of condoms in prisons because of the belief that it will encourage homosexuality.<ref>http://www.plusnews.org/IndepthMain.aspx?ReportId=71089&IndepthId=48</ref> |
Overcrowding also lessens the amount of protection and supervision that should be given to each prisoner. This leads to unnoticed violence, the taking of intravenous drugs, as well as a lack of protection for the most vulnerable victims which often result in rape.<ref>http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/hiv-aids/prison-settings.html?ref=menuside</ref> The deficiency of protection in prisons is so extreme that "prostitution rings" have been reported of being in practice, "in which guards are involved in smuggling juveniles into the adult blocks, sometimes for as little as 30 US cents."<ref>http://www.plusnews.org/IndepthMain.aspx?ReportId=71089&IndepthId=48</ref> The fact that juveniles are rarely separated from the adults in overcrowded prisons augments this practice immensely.<ref>http://www.wpro.who.int/NR/rdonlyres/6BD7C651-11A0-46CB-AAC5-2BE2C3485551/0/transmissionprisonen.pdf</ref> | Overcrowding also lessens the amount of protection and supervision that should be given to each prisoner. This leads to unnoticed violence, the taking of intravenous drugs, as well as a lack of protection for the most vulnerable victims which often result in rape.<ref>http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/hiv-aids/prison-settings.html?ref=menuside</ref> The deficiency of protection in prisons is so extreme that "prostitution rings" have been reported of being in practice, "in which guards are involved in smuggling juveniles into the adult blocks, sometimes for as little as 30 US cents."<ref>http://www.plusnews.org/IndepthMain.aspx?ReportId=71089&IndepthId=48</ref> The fact that juveniles are rarely separated from the adults in overcrowded prisons augments this practice immensely.<ref>http://www.wpro.who.int/NR/rdonlyres/6BD7C651-11A0-46CB-AAC5-2BE2C3485551/0/transmissionprisonen.pdf</ref> | ||
