THE RIGHT TO HEALTH IN PRISON: RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE SURVEY AND REPORT United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Noncustodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) Rule 10 1. Gender-specific health-care services at least equivalent to those available in the community shall be provided to women prisoners. 2. If a woman prisoner requests that she be examined or treated by a woman physician or nurse, a woman physician or nurse shall be made available to the extent possible, except for situations requiring urgent medical intervention. If a male medical practitioner undertakes the examination contrary to the wishes of the woman prisoner, a woman staff member shall be present during the examination. 4.84 Regardless, the Commission observed that certain specific health care needs of women were often not met in prison. This includes the need for sanitary products during to menstruation; particularly the need to sufficiently provide sanitary napkins for free and to dispose of them properly. Other issues include inadequate nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women. 4.85 Although testing and treatment at admission has increased in almost all prisons for women, there remains no standard policy for routine physical examinations on intake in prison as well as routine gynaecological checkups. The Commission also found deficiencies in the healthcare available to female prisoners especially for pregnancy screening. Gynaecological Screening United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Noncustodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) Rule 18 Preventive health care measures of particular relevance to women, such as Papanicolaou tests and screening for breast and gynaecological cancer, shall be offered to women prisoners on an equal basis with women of the same age in the community. 84