Written by IRA MEMAJ and Robert Fullilove
We recognize that contagious, non -binary people and people who recognize as women also need and have the right to access sex and reproductive health services. In this blog, we use the term “women” without integration.
Women in prisons and prisons are the faster growing imprisoned population in the US since 1970, the percentage of prisoners of women has increased by more than 700%. The laws and policies that emerged during the “Drug War” and “Hard for Crimes” era have contributed not only to the increase, but also to the disproportionate representation of poor women, women of color and sexual minorities. According to Vera’s Justice Institute, approximately 66% of imprisoned women Determine as black, latinx or members of other non -white ethnic or racial groups. People LGBTQ+ They represent 42.1% of women in prison and 35.7% of women in prison. Despite the exponential increase in imprisoned women, there is a lack of attention in women’s experiences in corrective facilities. For 60% of women in state prisons and 80% of women In prisons there are mothers of children aged 18 years or younger. After all, 3.8% of women They are pregnant at the time of her admission to prison. Many imprisoned women of reproductive age experience of women, pregnancy, work and tradition and maternity in corrective facilities that were and continue to be designed for men. As the rate of imprisoned women rises, concerns about reproductive justice take the center, especially with the rapid spread of COVID-19.
Overcrowding, poor infrastructure, unhealthy conditions, physical and sexual abuse and degraded medical care are some of the conditions that create and exacerbate the negative effects of health for imprisoned women. The majority of women who are already imprisoned suffer from some chronic diseases affected by poverty, trauma, mental illness and unlockLe housing. To one study; Almost one -third of imprisoned women reported irregular menstrual cycles. However, most women and girls in prisons do not have access to menstrual products. A plethora of studies also mentioned the high prevalence of STDs and HIVs between imprisoned women. For example, recent report It shows that these rates are multifactorial, including the previous history of Sti, the inconsistent use of condoms with many partners and lack of medical care. Imprisoned women have limited access to contraceptives, preliminary counseling and ending pregnancy and access to services that optimize mental health. In addition, imprisoned pregnant women are still committed During pregnancy, work and post-organization. The restraint organs can produce multiple negative effects For pregnant women, such as bleeding, epidural complications and caesarean section.
The forced nature and the compensation of imprisoned women through the neglect of services and the rights of sexual and reproductive health are further exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. From the beginning of the pandemic, prisons and prisons have been planned to become COVID-19. Indeed, a study From the Public Health School by Johns Hopkins that Covid-19 cases for prisoners are 5.5 times higher than the percentage of the US population. Even after adaptation for age and gender, the rate for deaths associated with COVID-19 is three times higher for prisoners compared to the US general population. Although there have been many narratives from the men behind the bars sharing their experience in the middle of Covid-19, the voices of imprisoned women are missing. To Female installation of central CaliforniaKandice Ortega said that because of the lack of PPPs, many women used their menstrual products to keep the installation clean. In April 2020, Andrea Circle BearA pregnant indigenous woman imprisoned for a small drug offense was not released early as recommended by public health officials. She soon arrested Covid-19 and died after her child’s surrender. In accordance with Cdc“Pregnant people are an increased risk of severity from COVID-19, including imports of ICU, mechanical ventilation and death, compared to non-pregnant people.” The regulations applied to slow down the transmission of COVID-19 have also presented challenges to imprisoned women. For example, many imprisoned mothers cannot see their children due to limited family visits. In addition, imprisoned pregnant women can go through work and delivery only due to COVID-19 restrictions that limit the number of people in the delivery room. The complete extent of COVID-19 impacts on imprisoned women has not yet been disclosed, but as public health officials we continue to promote healthcare systems and government officials to make emergency decisions on the benefit of benefiting women.
The resources and funding of some existing public health efforts are re-propagated to the efforts related to COVID-19. Imprisoned women are already experiencing reduced access to many breeding and sexual health services. This leads to subsequent negative health effects, including maternal mortality. Racism, sexism and classification – especially evident in the portable system – Further exacerbates the lack of accessibility to medical care. Public Health officials must work closely with corrective installations, legislators and community activists to provide solutions that are focused on cross -sectional and human rights. Breeding and sexual health resources should not be overshadowed by the urgency of COVID-19 and prisoner women and pregnant women should not be ignored when such decisions are taken. The medical community and federal and government officials should continue to depict gaps in reproductive care and ensure that imprisoned women, girls, pregnant people and LGBTQ+ identity have access to such services, even in the middle of a world.
Ira MEMAJ, MPH, is a public health teacher and a researcher for reproductive health and imprisonment at the Medical Center of Columbia University. [email protected]
Robert Fullilove, Edd., Is a professor of science sociometers at the University of Columbia Medical Center. [email protected]
Keep in mind that blog posts are not evaluated and do not necessarily reflect SRHM’s views as an organization.
