California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) recently vetoed a bill (AB 1677) that would have allowed not-for-profit organizations to distribute condoms in prisons, the Los Angeles Times reports (Los Angeles Times, 10/2). The bill, proposed by Assembly member Paul Koretz (D), would have allowed public health organizations to distribute condoms, dental dams or "other sex-related protective devices" to California's 162,000 prison inmates (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/1/05). The bill was sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Southern California HIV/AIDS Coalition. "We are disappointed that the governor missed an important opportunity to interrupt one of the major paths of transmission of HIV, from paroled prison inmates who unknowingly expose their spouses or significant others to HIV," Michael Weinstein, president of AHF, said, adding, "Use of condoms is a proven risk-reduction strategy. It is the responsibility and obligation of state government to ensure effective public health measures are employed wherever they can break the chain of infection" (AHF release, 9/29).

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