A new report published in the American Journal of Public Health says that “despite an increased need for reproductive health services among incarcerated women who are at risk for STDs and pregnancy, they are often underserved in receipt of reproductive health and family planning services.�

Women in prison are at higher risk for STDs and unplanned pregnancies:

The majority of the growing number of women who are incarcerated are released within a few days or weeks, when they may again be exposed to STDs and become pregnant unintentionally.

In a survey of 484 incarcerated women, Dr. Jennifer G. Clarke and colleagues at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence found that more than two-thirds reported inconsistent birth control, 38 percent had multiple sex partners and more than 83 percent had a history of unplanned pregnancy.

Most of the 18- to 35-year-old women surveyed said they would likely have sexual relations with a man within six months of release from prison.

The study also found that incarcerated women were more likely to use birth control when it was offered by the prison:

Thirty-nine percent of jailed women started birth control when it was offered before their release, while only 4 percent took advantage of free birth control offered at a community health center after their release.

Of course, women in prison being treated poorly (especially when it comes to repro rights) isn’t exactly news. For more information, check out the Women’s Prison Association.