March 26, 2009

Tennessee Bill: Prisoners Must Take HIV Test Before Release

A state lawmaker in Tennessee is proposing a bill that would require HIV testing for prison inmates before their release in an effort to curb the spread of the virus among the general population, WNMV.com reports.

Rep. Brenda Gilmore (D–Nashville) said the bill is a response to the growing number of African Americans in Tennessee who are newly infected. While African Americans represent 13 percent of Tennessee’s population, they account for 64 percent of new HIV cases, the majority of which are women.

“The last [Pew Center on the States] report showed that when inmates are released, that within three years, they’re back in the prison system,” Gilmore said. “This revolving door creates a culture where particularly African-American women could be infected.”

According to the article, Gilmore proposed a similar bill last year; it passed the House, but the Senate did not take action on it.

NEW! Scroll down to comment on this story.

Previous Comments:

Michael, Haslett, MI, 2009-03-31 15:38:00
I think this should be done in all states. No one is saying that all prisoners are gay or bi, but we do know that a lot of prisoners are raped or have a lot of sex between other prisoners while in prison, and some may not even know they are infected. But along with this they should also give education classes to all prisoners while in prison, not just on HIV, but all STD and how they may effect their lives even after getting out of prison.