The Florida Department of Health, Bureau of
HIV/AIDS has made a concerted effort for many years to implement
programs in prisons and jails to assist HIV-infected inmates prepare for
the return to their local communities. More than 95% of incarcerated men
and women will eventually return to their communities, so it’s important
to provide HIV-infected inmates with interventions that will help
them reenter society with optimal health and a clear understanding of
how to avoid passing the virus to others.
Estimates are
that the rates of HIV/AIDS in correctional facilities are three to five
times higher than in the general population and approximately 15 to 40
percent of inmates are hepatitis C infected. Therefore, many of these
programs also have a counseling and testing component, not only for HIV,
but for sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) and hepatitis B and C.
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