Contraceptive use and barriers to access among newly arrested women
Larochelle, F.; Castro, C.; Goldenson, J.; Tulsky, J.P.; Cohan, D.L.; Blumenthal, P.D.; Sufrin, C.B.
Journal of Correctional Health Care the Official Journal of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care 18(2): 111-119
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1940-5200 PMID: 22419640 DOI: 10.1177/1078345811435476Document Number: 535350
Incarcerated women report high rates of prior unintended pregnancies as well as low contraceptive use. Because jail could be a site of contraception care, this study aimed to assess women's access to contraception prior to their arrest. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 228 reproductive-aged, nonpregnant women arrested in San Francisco. Twenty-one percent were currently using contraception. More than half (61%) had not used contraception in the last year, yet 11% wanted to have used it. Women in this latter subset reported greater difficulty with payment, finding a clinic, and transportation compared to women who had used contraception. In addition, 60% of all women in the sample would accept contraception if offered to them in jail. Thus, jail is a potentially important and acceptable point of access to contraception, which can circumvent some preincarceration logistical barriers.