By Lily H-A
From PHN Issue 58, Fall 2024
Dear Prison Health News,
I am writing to ask how I can get the new HIV one-shot (monthly) medication? And
can you do an article about how the shot is given and cost compared to the pill?
–R
Category: Back issues of PHN
PRISON IS NOT MENOPAUSE FRIENDLY: Be Prepared to Self Advocate
By Kwaneta Harris
From PHN Issue 58, Fall 2024
What Are Menopause and Perimenopause?
Menopause = Meno (monthly period) + Pause (stop). Menopause is
the end of having a menstrual cycle. Technically, it is twelve months without
having a menstrual period. Perimenopause leads to menopause. It is when a person with ovaries is in their final reproductive years. Symptoms of menopause can begin during perimenopause and continue for up to a decade. Despite the name, the journey to menopause is not just about our period stopping. Some people don’t have periods due to a hysterectomy or infertility. It’s easier to think of menopause as a time of reduced hormone production.
IT IS BANANAS WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH BANANAS IN YOUR DIET!
By Jamila W. Harris
From PHN Issue 58, Fall 2024
I recently experienced a trip to the emergency room because I was feeling low on energy. Whenever I took a breath, I felt sharp chest pain in my heart, in addition to body aches. I
thought that this was due to strenuous exercise. However, when I saw a doctor, I was told that
my potassium levels were dangerously low and that was why I was not feeling well. Surprisingly,
I also had a bladder infection known as a urinary tract infection or UTI. This too was caused by
low potassium levels. I figured I would take potassium supplement pills and be on my way
home. However, I was informed that if my low potassium levels were not regulated immediately, I could likely face a heart attack or stroke. Under these circumstances, I was not cleared to leave the emergency room. I was placed on an IV immediately to receive potassium through my veins. It was the most excruciating pain that I experienced through an IV. This experience cemented in me how important it is to eat the right foods enriched with potassium. For starters, the easiest food to remember to eat is a banana.
EXERCISE MINDFULLY
By Joseph Nichols
From PHN Issue 58, Fall 2024
Exercise is one of the most productive and popular hobbies in prisons all over the world. While the care of one’s physical body is important, many forget to exercise one of their most vital
organs . . . THEIR BRAIN.
CELIAC DISEASE: COMMONLY UNDIAGNOSED
By James Jacoby
From PHN Issue 58, Fall 2024
It’s not IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), a bowel blockage, stomach cramps, or a stomach bug – no, it’s celiac disease! It’s one of the most commonly undiagnosed digestion-related health problems. If you eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast and you’re on the toilet several times that day, with bad gas, you might have celiac disease. If any foods with wheat or wheat flour cause these or similar symptoms, make sure to request a blood test for celiac disease.
Continue reading “CELIAC DISEASE: COMMONLY UNDIAGNOSED”I’VE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP! HOW TO MAINTAIN GOOD BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY
By Troy Glover
From PHN Issue 56, Spring 2024
Prisoners perceive time differently in prison. In our imagination, that pecan tree in our backyard is still full, green, and vibrant. Those polyester butterfly-collared shirts I own are still in style. For prisoners, time seems to stand still.
Because many of us are serving long sentences, it is imperative that we try to maintain optimum health. The best way to do this is through proper nutrition and exercise. Many prisoners only focus on endurance and strength training. As we grow older, we need to incorporate another facet to that regime of wellness: balance and flexibility.
Continue reading “I’VE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP! HOW TO MAINTAIN GOOD BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY”ASK PHN: WHAT ARE THE HARMS OF SPICE/K2?
By Olivia Duffield
From PHN Issue 56, Spring 2024
Dear Prison Health News,
I was reading an article in Prison Legal News about an individual who was smoking “roach killer.” Many of the symptoms were similar to those who smoke “spice.” My question is this: Can you do an article on “spice”? What it is and is not…
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Continue reading “ASK PHN: WHAT ARE THE HARMS OF SPICE/K2?”Ask PHN: Hippa in Prison
By Jamila Harris
From PHN Issue 54, Fall 2023
Dear PHN,
Could you explain the rules and violations of the HIPAA Act? Is it a violation if the correctional officer stays in the room while we are seeing medical staff and knows my medical information?
– L.W.
Dear L.W.,
When it comes to the rights of incarcerated individuals and the privacy of their medical information, a valid concern always comes to mind. “Do the correctional officers have the right to know your medical information?” A person who is incarcerated has certain legal rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA. This act is a federal law passed in 1996 that protects how medical information of individuals—including identifying factors such as address, birthdate, and social security number—is transferred and disclosed to others. Under the law, this identifiable health information is known as “protected health information.”
Recognizing LONG COVID
By Kirby Sokolow
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023
Three years have passed since the World Health Organization first declared COVID-19 a pandemic. However, people worldwide continue to suffer from this novel coronavirus’ devastating effects. Among them are an estimated 65 million people with symptoms of Long COVID.
Long COVID—also called post-COVID syndrome or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection—is when someone keeps having COVID-19 symptoms or gets new symptoms that last weeks, months, or years after they get COVID. Anyone infected with COVID-19 can develop Long COVID, even vaccinated folks and people whose initial symptoms were mild. However, vaccination does lower your risk of both getting COVID and developing long COVID.
Continue reading “Recognizing LONG COVID”A Word About Syphilis
By Thomas Michael Simons, IPE
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023
While its origin is not completely known, the earliest evidence of syphilis was found in the Pre-Columbian Indigenous population of South America. Syphilis is caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete bacterium, and it can cause serious health problems if not treated. It is transmitted by coming into contact with a syphilitic sore during anal, oral, or vaginal sex. These sores appear on or around the anus, penis, or vagina (they’re found in the rectum, on the lips, or in the mouth). It can be congenitally (present before birth) spread from a pregnant person to a fetus or baby.
Continue reading “A Word About Syphilis”
Prison Health News 