Abstract
Objective: Comparison of the physical and mental health profile of men and women deprived of liberty. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, which interviewed 128 people deprived of liberty of both sexes, in two prisons in Alagoas. Data were through IBM SPSS Statistics software. The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: When comparing genders, the prevalence of clinical complaints/problems was more pronounced among women (62.3%) than among men (39.2%). The prevalence of self-reported mental health treatment among women was 51.9%, twice that found among men (21.6%). It was found that 24.7% of women and 13.7% of men had anxiety symptoms. Insomnia and depression were formed by 15.6% of women, while 13.7% of men were deaf from insomnia and 2% from depression. There was also a higher prevalence of psychoactive drug use among women (55.8% vs. 33.3% among men). Conclusion: Men and women in prison have higher prevalences of medical and mental problems, which are higher, however, among women. These results are relevant for the planning and health care of this public.