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. 2008 Jan;85(1):90-9.
doi: 10.1007/s11524-007-9231-1. Epub 2007 Nov 29.

Incarceration and sexually transmitted infections: a neighborhood perspective

James C Thomas  1 , Brooke A Levandowski, Malika Roman Isler, Elizabeth Torrone, George Wilson
Affiliations

Incarceration and sexually transmitted infections: a neighborhood perspective

James C Thomas et al. J Urban Health. 2008 Jan.

Abstract

The social dynamics of some communities are affected by the loss of significant numbers of people to prison and by the release of others who encounter the challenge of coping with the negative effects of the incarceration experience. The effects on communities are evident, in part, in the high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in North Carolina (NC) counties that have a high rate of incarceration. In the present study, we examined whether the same associations can be observed at the census tract level in one urban city of NC. To identify the mechanisms by which incarceration can affect the transmission of STIs, we conducted ethnographic interviews with ex-offenders and people who lost a sexual partner to prison. We found that census tract rates of incarceration were consistently associated with gonorrhea rates in the subsequent year. An increase of the percentage of census tract person-time spent in prison from 2.0% to 2.5% corresponded to a gonorrhea rate increase of 7.1 cases per 100,000 person-years. The people interviewed spoke of sexual partnership changes including those left behind finding new partners, in part for help in making financial ends meet; men having sex with men for the first time in prison; and having multiple new partners upon reentry to the community. The statistical associations and stories of the effects of incarceration on sexual relationships provide additional evidence of unintended community health consequences of high rates of incarceration.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Geographical distribution of the proportion of the census tract person-time in prison, divided into four quartiles for Durham County, North Carolina, 2001. The uncolored census tract in the middle was excluded from the analysis because of a small population.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Geographical distribution of gonorrhea rates, divided into four quartiles for Durham County, North Carolina, 2002. The uncolored census tract in the middle was excluded from the analysis because of a small population.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. U.S. Census Bureau Fact Sheet for Durham County, North Carolina. U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed on February 13, 2007. Available at: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&_lang=e....
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