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Prevalence of reproductive system diseases among Taiwanese prisoners: a population-based study on gender and age differences

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The prevalence of reproductive system diseases among prisoners in Taiwan has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to estimate the gender-specific prevalence of reproductive system diseases in a sample of Taiwanese prisoners. We included data from 84,048 prisoners, obtained from the National Health Insurance (NHI) Program. Outcomes were measured using the clinical version of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9-CM). Prevalence rates were calculated in terms of absolute values and percentages. A χ 2 test was performed to assess gender and age group differences in the percentage of reproductive system diseases. In the total incarcerated cohort, the overall prevalence of diagnosed reproductive system diseases was 4.88% ( n = 4,050), indicating that roughly 5 in every 100 prisoners were affected. The prevalence and specific disease patterns demonstrated significant variation by gender and age. Among male prisoners, the most prevalent condition was hyperplasia of the prostate (2%), the prevalence of which exhibited a strong age-dependent increase. Among female prisoners, disorders of menstruation (10.30%) and inflammatory diseases of the cervix, vagina, and vulva (8.79%) were the most common diagnoses, and these conditions were significantly more prevalent in younger women. A U-shaped association was observed between age and the overall prevalence of reproductive diseases in the total population, with the highest rates found in the youngest (≤ 30 years) and oldest (> 60 years) age groups. This study demonstrates that reproductive system diseases are a significant health burden among Taiwanese prisoners, with distinct age- and gender-specific patterns. These findings underscore the urgent need for tailored healthcare strategies, including early screening for prostate disorders in older men and enhanced reproductive health services for younger women. However, contextual factors in prisons, including psychosocial stress, lifestyle behaviors, and environmental conditions, may also contribute but were not captured in our data. As this study was cross-sectional and relied on ICD-9 coding, causal inference is limited, underscoring the importance of future longitudinal research to clarify these relationships.

Source: Archives of Public Health

DOI: 10.1186/s13690-026-02050-7