Condom machines installed in San Francisco jail

As a result of the growing number of sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases in correctional facilities nationwide, some jail officials are implementing precautionary measures.

For instance, a total of 16 condom machines have been installed at the San Francisco County Jail, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Despite the policy, which states that sexual relations aren't allowed between inmates, authorities believe that this decision will help lower the spread of STDs in the California-based facility.

In 1989, a safe-sex program was launched at the jail, which included the distribution of condoms to inmates prior to the end of their sentences.

Kate Monico Klein, a staff member of the public health department in San Francisco, told the news source that "the sex already takes place." She added that "if [providing condoms] saves one or two lives, it's worth it."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of HIV infections in 2006 among the male population in U.S. correctional facilities was five times higher than among men who were not in jail.