Disparities in HIV status and testing knowledge among incarcerated females: The need to enhance health literacy

HIV/AIDS is a debilitating disease that adversely affects populations, especially women of color. For example, African American women comprise 64% of the HIV/AIDS cases in the United States. Of particular interest is the spread of HIV/AIDS among incarcerated populations. The penal system serves as an incubator for those at risk of communicable disease transmission and contraction. Considering the aforementioned, it seems relevant to investigate the plight of HIV/AIDS in local jails among women. Using the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, racial/ethnic disparities in prevalence of HIV as well as knowledge regarding testing were analyzed. Approximately 400 White, Black, and Hispanic females completed the items of interest; of this number 4.6% were HIV positive, with African American women comprising 67% of cases. Additionally, 635 women answered questions pertaining to whether they had been tested for HIV. Approximately 59% of women had been tested, while 27% had not, and another 14% did not know whether they had been tested. Racially/ethnically, 41.5% White women, 41.5% of Black women, and 17% of Hispanic women were unsure about whether they had been tested. The fact that women are unsure about whether they have been tested suggests the need for enhancing health literacy, increasing education and communication among this population. Findings also reiterate the importance of policies and procedures for screening, testing, and providing HIV/AIDS treatment for the prisoners.