Special health needs of incarcerated women include treatment for: (1) substance abuse; (2) HIV infection; (3) other infections and communicable diseases; (4) conditions primarily affecting minority women or affecting them more often or with greater frequency, such as sickle cell anemia, diabetes and hypertension; (5) pregnancy; (6) reproductive health conditions; (7) mental health disorders; and (8) the effects of violent victimization. All of these problems are exacerbated by language and cultural differences which make some women reluctant to even seek medical care. Finally, as the numbers of incarcerated women with life-threatening diseases increase along with the numbers of aging women, the issue of health care for the dying and disabled emerges as paramount. Barriers to effective health care include lack of women-specific research; institutional policies and procedures; and lack of access to qualified medical staff. The article concludes with a discussion of research into health-related concerns of female prisoners and several projects to design service programs or integrate gender-specific focus into existing programs. References