Search is Powered by Google
HIV / AIDS News

Maryland Prisons Have Highest Percentage Of AIDS Cases Nationwide, DOJ Report Says

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 03 Oct 2007 - 11:00 PST

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article


Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:4 and a half stars

4.25 (4 votes)

Health Professional:5 stars

5 (1 votes)

Article Opinions: 0 posts

Prisons in Maryland have the highest percentage of inmates living with AIDS nationwide, according to a study by the Department of Justice, the Baltimore Sun reports. The study is based on statistics from 41 states at the end of 2005.

The study found that AIDS cases among inmates in Maryland prisons increased from 204 in 2004 to 408 in 2005 and that 1.8% of inmates in Maryland are living with AIDS. Although the number of inmates living with AIDS increased, the study found a decrease in the number of HIV-positive inmates from 988 in 2003 to 792 in 2004 and 671 in 2005 (Garland, Baltimore Sun, 9/29). The number of HIV-positive inmates nationwide and the number of AIDS cases decreased in 2005, the report found (Lamothe, Annapolis Capital, 9/29).

Mark Vernarelli, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, said that prison officials "have not had a chance to examine the report" and that state officials could not explain the increase in AIDS cases during the one-year period. Vernarelli added that the prison system in August spent $850,000 on HIV/AIDS-related medications for inmates.

According to Vernarelli, many of the HIV-positive inmates contracted the virus through injection drug use (Baltimore Sun, 9/29). Richard Rosenblatt, assistant secretary for DPSCS, said a "high rate of HIV should be expected" in Maryland prisons because of the high number of injection drug users in the Baltimore area. According to CDC, the Baltimore area in 2005 had the second-highest rate of AIDS nationwide, with 40.4 cases per 100,000 people (Annapolis Capital, 9/29).

Connecticut, Delaware and New York state had the second-highest percentage of inmates living with AIDS, with 1.1% each, the report found (Baltimore Sun, 9/29).

The report is available online.

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Opioid Induced Constipation ADHD Anxiety Asthma Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles All 'How To...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
Sex Workers In Pakistan Give Recommendations On HIV Prevention To Health Officials
19 May 2009
Although the recorded HIV prevalence in Pakistan is relatively low, health officials are concerned that a concentrated epidemic of the virus among injection drug users could carry over to commercial sex workers and other...


Talking with Your Doctor image Talking with Your Doctor

Talking with your doctor can sometimes be difficult. Good health care, however, depends on an open dialogue between patients and doctors...

Keeping a Personal Medical Record image Keeping a Personal Medical Record

Medical information is usually scattered in many different places. To receive the best possible health care, people are encouraged to gather information in one place and create a personal medical record...

View more videos...