HEPATITIS C CAN BE DEFEATED IF VIABLY TREATED

By Raymond White

From PHN Issue 57, Summer 2024

In the year of 2010, while serving time in Fresno County Jail, I took an antibody blood test for hepatitis C (hep C). This was a mandated requirement for new prisoner arrivals. A few weeks after I had taken the test, I was called in for a primary clinician appointment. While I was talking to my health care provider, he stated that I had been exposed to hep C due to the mere fact that I had
shared a syringe needle with a partner a couple years back. Hep C is a viral infection that attacks and causes inflammation to the liver. After I was notified of my hep C diagnosis, I suddenly became mentally overwhelmed. I could not believe that I had contracted hep C. At the time of my diagnosis, there was not a cure, but treatment could decrease further significant damage to the liver. Pegylated forms of treatment could produce a sustained viral response, but this form of treatment caused many complications due to adverse effects. The FDA had not yet found a viable treatment effective for all genotypes.

Continue reading →

A BOOK

By H. Lee

From PHN Issue 57, Summer 2024

Bars do not a prison make
If one has a book to read
Stone and steel seem to disappear
Simply with the turn of a page
Adventures unfold, treasures untold
Await those who venture within
A book will take you to
Places you never before been
Places you never imagined you’d go
Places unseen, as if in a dream
Places better than the place you’re in
So walk away from that rerun TV
Put down those dominoes
Leave the fussin’ and cussin’ behind
Travel to new worlds, new adventures
Make new friends, set yourself free
Even if only temporarily
Your body may be bound
Within walls that surround
Yet the mind remains free
If one has a book to read
It’s the best solution for life
While life is passing you by

OVERCOMING HOPELESSNESS: A MENTAL HEALTH DISPATCH

By JD Frandsen

From PHN Issue 57, Summer 2024

I know your shade of blue. I existed for 13 years in a maximum-security facility, a bleak, lifeless place with no trees, no humanity, and no hope. I am now at a minimum camp, and any petty infraction could send me back to that awful place where old homies have died and the suicide wind blows like devils screaming. Anxiety is my constant companion. But this day, my friends, I implore you all never to give up.

Continue reading →

TO GRIEVE OR NOT TO GRIEVE

By Sensei Pitt

From PHN Issue 56, Spring 2024

20 Steps to the Courthouse

So you think you have been wronged by the system, a corrupt corrections officer, mistreatment by other prisoners, malpractice by medical, or denial of your religious rights, and you want to sue them. Now, what’s the first thing you need to do? Start with assembling your “Tool Box.” You will need to effectively record and litigate your issues. It will look like this:

Continue reading →

GET BUSY! COMBATTING THE HEALTH RISKS OF A TEXAS SOLITARY CELL

By Kwaneta Harris

From PHN Issue 56, Spring 2024

At 51, living in a solitary confinement cell in Texas increases my likelihood of an early death. It’s a daily fight to remain physically and emotionally healthy. I’ve been incarcerated 17 years, with seven and a half in the hole. Texas is known for its brutal prison conditions: No air conditioning. No ability for anyone to purchase individualized TVs. A two-page commissary list for everyone. Although, on paper, we are allowed out of our cell daily for a shower and outdoor/indoor recreation, that’s seldom enforced. I developed a regimented daily routine. As a Black woman, I know I’m at risk for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and stroke. As a former nurse, I know how to combat the harm this box was designed to do.

Continue reading →

ANATOMY OF AMERICA’S WASTEFUL PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

By Bryant Arroyo
From PHN Issue 55, Winter 2024

America! America!
Land of the free, a society filled with justice and equality.
This is a clear example of hypocrisy,
unless they forgot to include me,
and millions of others kept in captivity.
Confined behind tall walls and razor wires,
with the nation of prisoners constantly rising higher.
Countless amounts will never be released,
except in a body bag once deceased.

Continue reading →

Ask PHN: Types of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Testing

By M. Ali
From PHN Issue 55, Winter 2024

Dear Prison Health News,
If you would be so kind (if you haven’t already done so), please explain the variety of sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis, herpes I vs. II, etc.

— Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for this great topic suggestion. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which develop due to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), are very common, impact people of all genders, and can result from any type of sexual activity (vaginal, anal, oral, etc.). STIs can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. STDs don’t always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms, so it’s important to get tested if you believe you may have been exposed. The good news is STDs are preventable, and most are treatable as well. Talking to your partner about STDs and how to stay safe while having sex is an important way of protecting your health. Prevention is always better than treatment.

Continue reading →

COVID-19 Update: RISING CASES AND UPDATED VACCINES

By Lily HA
From PHN Issue 55, Winter 2024

As of October 2023, there has been another surge in COVID-19 cases. Since data reporting to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is more limited than it was earlier in the pandemic, it’s harder to know the size of the surge. Still, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have all increased since summer. When possible, wearing a mask, keeping physical distance between yourself and others, and getting tested if you feel sick or are around someone else who tests positive continue to be good ways to protect yourself and others.

New variants of the coronavirus continue to arise, as experts have expected. There are currently multiple sub-variants of the Omicron variant going around. So far, these new variants and sub-variants seem to have similar symptoms to and cause similarly severe disease as previous variants, although they are more transmissible (easier to get and pass on to other people).

Continue reading →

Holistic Corner: HERBAL REMEDIES

Adapted by Hannah Calvelli
From PHN Issue 55, Winter 2024

A variety of herbs and plants may grow in prison courtyards. In preparation for Spring, we highlight a few of the holistic remedies featured in The Prisoner’s Herbal, a book by Nicole Rose. We acknowledge that not everyone may have access to courtyards, but we hope this information can be useful for some and interesting to many. Furthermore, while the herbs in this article may have medicinal properties, research and evidence on how well herbal medicines work is limited. We recommend that you speak with a medical professional to address any symptoms you are experiencing.

Continue reading →

TYPE 1 DIABETES EXPERT

By Sterling Allan
From PHN Issue 55, Winter 2024

Note from PHN editors: This article is specifically about managing type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune problem usually diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood. The author has a lot of experience managing his sugars. What works for him might not work for everyone.

Here in prison, I was able to maintain my A1C in the “normal” range for four years, despite how difficult it is. My purpose here is to share some key takeaways I’ve learned the hard way, so you can benefit from my pioneering efforts without the difficulties.

First, let me say that I no longer target a “normal” blood sugar average, which is 100 mg/dL on the glucometer. My motivation has come from what my doctor told me when I was first diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic two decades ago. He said I could live a full life if I maintained good control of my blood sugar.

Continue reading →