Reproductive Justice: Efficacy of STI Prevention Programs on Sexual Health Outcomes in Incarcerated Women

Abstract

Correctional facilities continue to be positively correlated to high concentrations of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to Wiehe, Rosenman, Aalsma, Scanlon, and Fortenberry (2015), test positivity rates for STIs among recently released female offenders is approximately 9.2%, as compared with the general population of female nonoffenders at approximately 1.6%. STIs, for the purpose of this brief, are defined as infections passed from one person to another through close sexual contact, including vaginal, oral, and anal sex (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Untreated STIs have the potential to cause complications related to sexual health outcomes, which are defined as “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality . . . sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships” (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018). The purpose of this Evidence-Based Brief is to examine the efficacy of STI prevention programs on sexual health outcomes in incarcerated women. The outcome of this brief may lend insight to potential evidence-based healthcare practices within prison systems, specifically providing reproductive justice to such a vulnerable population. Nurses can use this information to implement both practices of advocacy and education in order to provide equitable care to a population that often goes overlooked.