NCJ Number
58546
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
HEALTH TESTS AND HEALTH CARE POLICIES RECOMMENDED FOR JUVENILE AND FEMALE INMATES ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
BASED ON SURVEYS OF HEALTH DISORDERS GENERALLY PREVALENT AMONG INCARCERATED JUVENILES, THE FOLLOWING DIAGNOSTIC TESTS SHOULD BE REGULARLY PERFORMED ON ALL RESIDENTS OF A JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION: HEMATOCRIT, URINALYSIS, URINE CULTURE IN FEMALES, TUBERCULIN SKIN TEST, SEROLOGICAL TEST FOR SYPHILIS, GONORRHEA CULTURES FOR SEXUALLY ACTIVE MALES AND FEMALES, VAGINAL WET-MOUNT PREPARATION FOR TRICHOMONAS VAGINALIS, HEMOPHILUS VAGINALIS, AND YEAST INFECTION, AND PAPANICOLOAU (PAP) TEST FOR CANCER OF THE CERVIX. SCREENING FOR SICKLE CELL ANEMIA AND TRAIT SHOULD BE DONE FOR BLACK INMATES. THOSE WHO HAVE A HISTORY OF DRUG ABUSE SHOULD BE SCREENED FOR LIVER DISEASE WITH SERUM GLUTAMIC PYRUVIC TRANSAMINASE (SGPT). INDIVIDUALS AT RISK BECAUSE OF FAMILY HISTORY OF DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE, AND HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA SHOULD HAVE APPROPRIATE BLOOD CHEMISTRY DETERMINATIONS. SEXUALLY ACTIVE FEMALES SHOULD BE GIVEN A PREGNANCY TEST, AND THOSE PREGNANT SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPTION OF TERMINATION OF AN UNWANTED PREGNANCY. IN CONSIDERING THE SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF WOMEN, THE INITIAL EXAMINATION SHOULD GIVE SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE BREASTS AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. A LARGE NUMBER OF FEMALE INMATES HAVE GYNECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS WHICH WILL REQUIRE SERVICES OF A GYNECOLOGIST CONSULTANT. OBSTETRICAL CARE SHOULD BE PROVIDED. SINCE IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT THE MOTHER-INFANT BONDING IMMEDIATELY AFTER DELIVERY AND IN THE FIRST WEEKS OF LIFE IS CRUCIAL TO THE CHILD'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, THE MOTHER SHOULD BE GRANTED A POSTPARTUM FURLOUGH OF AT LEAST 6 TO 8 WEEKS. CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS SHOULD GIVE CAREFUL POLICY CONSIDERATION TO THE FORMAT FOR THE CARE OF CHILDREN BORN TO INMATES. SOME EXAMPLES OF RECOMMENDED POLICIES IN THIS AREA ARE PRESENTED FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)