A study has found that a shorter prison sentence can not only lower the number of sexual partners for both sexes but also help slow HIV spread.

Using a new computer model, researchers have revealed the negative consequences of sending more men to jail. Findings also suggested that longer prison sentences can only make things worse.

University of Michigan researchers have focused on male prisoners because imprisonment rates among men are higher compared to women. The 2009 statistics showed that for every 100,000 men in the U.S., 954 went to jail. As for the women, 68 out of 100,000 were imprisoned.

"The model shows that simply removing men and returning them to the community frequently can increase the number of sexual partners that both men and women have in the community," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Andrea Knittel who was part of the research team.

Knittel added that their findings support the theory that mass imprisonment carries long-term, complicated and unintentional consequences that could affect public health.

For the study, the researchers used the data of 250 simulated participants to create a computer model community. To see how many sexual partners each simulated participant can have, the team has conducted a simulation wherein there were no participants incarcerated. The team used imprisonment rates from other studies to run multiple scenarios with incarcerated individuals to see its consequences in the community in terms of relationships.

Findings showed that imprisonment led to higher numbers of sexual partners in both genders. This was driven partially by how women perceive formerly imprisoned men and vice versa. Also, longer sentences made situations worse.

"Our model showed that high levels of incarceration likely play a role in community-level sexual behavior, and are likely detrimental in terms of sexual risk for HIV and other STDs," added Knittel.

The findings also suggested that lower imprisonment rates and building a more open system, one that offers support towards the prisoners' relationships can lower the risk of having unstable relationships. These changes could bring effects to both sexual and public health.

The study was published in the Social Science and Medicine journal on Nov. 11, 2015.

Photo: Stephanie Ezcurra | Flickr