This descriptive, correlational study explored the stressful life event of incarceration for women prisoners and examined its relationship to selected health outcomes. Interviews with 55 women during their first week of incarceration and after 6 months in prison provided the data for analysis. Specific stresses of incarceration identified by the women included separation from families, worry about their children, and loss of control of their own lives. Psychological stress at time of incarceration was found to be positively related to depression and weight gain after 6 months of incarceration. Strategies to decrease the stressful nature of incarceration and improve the health status of incarcerated women are recommended.

New HIV cases are increasing among women, especially women of color. Moreover, the rate of infection for incarcerated women is twice that of incarcerated men. With advances in medication therapy, HIV has become a chronic illness that can be successfully treated, provided the patient is able to achieve adherence with the prescribed antiretroviral medication regimen. Incarcerated women, however, frequently come from environments burdened with violence, substance and physical abuse, homelessness, child-care issues, and mental illness. Such burdens negatively affect the ability of these women to adhere to the medication plan. This study explored incarcerated HIV-infected women’s barriers to and facilitators of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), the role of health care provider relationships in adherence, and the ways in which issues of medical privacy influence ability or desire to adhere while incarcerated. A secondary analysis of an existing set of qualitative interviews with HIV-infected female inmates was conducted.

HIV/AIDS trends in the United States depict a concentrated epidemic with hot spots that vary by location, poverty, race/ethnicity, and transmission mode. HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death among US women of color; two thirds of new infections among women occur in black women, despite the fact that black women account for just 14% of the US female population. The gravity of the HIV epidemic among US women is often not appreciated by those at risk as well as by the broader scientific community. We summarize the current epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among US women and discuss clinical, research, and public health intervention components that must be brought together in a cohesive plan to reduce new HIV infections in US women. Only by accelerating research and programmatic efforts will the hidden epidemic of HIV among US women emerge into the light and come under control.

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Objectives We tested the efficacy of an adapted evidence-based HIV–sexually transmitted infection (STI) behavioral intervention (Providing Opportunities for Women′s Empowerment, Risk-Reduction, and Relationships, or POWER) among incarcerated women. Methods We conducted a randomized trial with 521 women aged 18 to 60 years in 2 correctional facilities in North Carolina in 2010 and 2011. Intervention participants attended 8 POWER sessions; control participants received a single standard-of-care STI prevention session. We followed up at 3 and 6 months after release. We examined intervention efficacy with mixed-effects models. Results POWER participants reported fewer male sexual partners than did control participants at 3 months, although this finding did not reach statistical significance; at 6 months they reported significantly less vaginal intercourse without a condom outside of a monogamous relationship and more condom use with a main male partner. POWER participants also reported significantly fewer condom barriers, and greater HIV knowledge, health-protective communication, and tangible social support. The intervention had no significant effects on incident STIs. Conclusions POWER is a behavioral intervention with potential to reduce risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV and STIs among incarcerated women returning to their communities.