Sexual Health Practices of Homeless Youth

Authors: Rew, L.

Journal Name: Journal of nursing scholarship

Publication Date: 2002

Purpose. To describe the sexual health practices of homeless adolescents, examine relationships among variables in a conceptual model of sexual health practices, and determine direct and indirect effects of population characteristics, cognitive-perceptual factors, and behavioral factors on sexual health practices among homeless adolescents. Design and Methods: Descriptive exploratory design. A survey was administered to a convenience sample of 414...

Tags: sexual practices; sexual health; homeless youth; Sexual/Reproductive Care; youth

Health Educators’ Perceptions of a Sexual Health Intervention for Homeless Adolescents

Authors: Rew, Lynn; Rochlen, Aaron; Murphey, Christina

Journal Name: Journal of Adolescent Health

Publication Date: 2008

Sexuality education is a sensitive and controversial topic and homeless adolescents are generally stigmatized and marginalized. Health educators who intervene with this vulnerable population may have biases and preconceptions that interfere with their effectiveness. By intervening with homeless adolescents, however, their perceptions might be altered. The extent of educators’ biases and preconceptions and how they may be altered through the research process is unknown. Therefore, the...

Tags: sexual health; homeless adolescents; treatment; interventions; health; homelessness; population; Demography & Characteristics of Homelessness; Sexual/Reproductive Care; youth

Interaction of Duration of Homelessness and Gender on Adolescent Sexual Health Indicators

Authors: Rew, Lynn; Grady, Matthew; Whittaker, Tiffany A. ; Bowman, Katherine

Journal Name: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship

Publication Date: 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this analysis was to determine the effects of duration of homelessness and gender on personal and social resources, cognitive-perceptual factors, and sexual health behaviors among homeless youth. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline from 461 homeless adolescents who participated in a sexual health intervention study was done. Method: Data were collected via laptop computers from homeless adolescents (mean age = 1...

Tags: youth; health; sexual health; gender; risk and protective factors

Childhood Sexual Abuse, Adolescent Sexual Coercion and Sexually Transmitted Infection Acquisition Among Homeless Female Adolescents

Authors: Noell, John; Rohde, Paul; Seeley, John; Ochs, Linda

Journal Name: Child Abuse & Neglect

Publication Date: 2001

Objective: To examine the relationship between childhood experiences of sexual abuse, sexual coercion during adolescence, and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a population of homeless adolescents. (authors)

Tags: women; youth; health; STDs; sexual health; violence; sexual violence; children

Sexually Transmitted Disease Rates and High-risk Sexual Behaviors in Borderline Personality Disorder Versus Borderline Personality Disorder With Substance Use Disorder

Authors: Chen, Eunice; Brown, Milton; Lo, Tracy; Linehan, Marsha

Journal Name: Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease

Publication Date: 2007

We examined the rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in women with borderline personality disorder (BPD) (using PDE and SCID-II) and substance abuse or dependence (SCID-I) (BPD-SUD) (N = 82) compared with those with BPD-only (N = 102), exploring mediators of this relationship. Participants were interviewed about STD history (gonorrhea, genital herpes, syphilis, trichomonas, human papillomavirus, and HIV), condom use, number of sexual partners, poverty, and prostitution. BPD....

Tags: mental health; health; STDs; sexual health

Sexuality, Pregnancy, and Childrearing Among Women With Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders

Authors: Miller, LaVerne; Finnerty, Molly

Journal Name: Psychiatric Services

Publication Date: 1996

OBJECTIVE: This study compared sexuality, reproduction, and childrearing characteristics of women with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with those of women without serious mental illness. METHODS: A semistructured interview was given to 46 women meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and to 50 control subjects without major mental illness who were matched for age, race, education, employment status, and religion. RESULTS: Compared with the control.....

Tags: mental health; Schizophrenia; women; parenting; health; sexual health

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Sexual Risk Reduction in Homeless Men with Mental Illness

Authors: Susser, Ezra; Valencia, Elie; Berkman, Alan; Sohler, Nancy; Conover, Sarah; Torres, Julio; Betne, Prabha; Felix, Alan; Miller, Sutherland

Journal Name: Archives of General Psychiatry

Publication Date: 1998

Background: The spread of human immunodeficiency virus infection to impaired groups has intensified the challenge for its prevention; control of the epidemic now requires behavioral change among persons with limited ability to sustain attention and learn. In this randomized clinical trial, we tested an intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors among homeless men with severe mental illness. Methods: Men were recruited from a psychiatric program in a homeless shelter. Of 116 eligible men, 9...

Tags: HIV/AIDS; mental health; health; sexual health

Sexual Risk Among Impoverished Women: Understanding the Role of Housing Status

Authors: Wenzel, Suzanne; Tucker, Joan; Elliott, Marc; Hambarsoomians, Katrin

Journal Name: AIDS and Behavior

Publication Date: 2006

HIV/AIDS increasingly affects women, and housing status is important to understanding HIV risk behaviors among women. The goal of this study is to enhance understanding of the association between housing status and a key sexual risk behavior, having multiple sex partners, by investigating the extent to which housing status differences can be accounted for by hypothesized explanatory factors. In a probability sample of 833 women in Los Angeles, results indicated that homeless African American....

Tags: HIV/AIDS; housing; women; health; sexual health

Individual and Environmental Protective Factors for Risky Sexual Behavior among Homeless Youth: An Exploration of Gender Differences

Authors: Trevendale, Heather D.; Lightfoot, Marguerita; Slocum, Suzanne L.

Journal Name: AIDS and Behavior

Publication Date: 2008

The goal of the current study was to identify potential individual and environmental protective factors for sex risk behavior among homeless youth. We explored gender differences in the prediction of unprotected sex and number of sex partners. Data were collected from 192 sexually active, homeless youth who were 14-21 years old. High rates of sex risk behavior were reported. Significant gender differences were found in STD rates with 19% of females and 2% of males reporting an STD diagnosis.....

Tags: youth; gender; health; sexual health; STDs; mental health

Predictors of Sexual Risk Behaviors among Newly Homeless Youth: A Longitudinal Study

Authors: Solorio, Rosa M; Rosenthal, Doreen; Milburn, Norweeta G; Weiss, Robert E; Batterham, Philip J; Gandara, Marla; Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane

Journal Name: Journal of Adolescent Health

Publication Date: 2007

Purpose: To longitudinally examine the association between newly homeless youth individual factors (sociodemographic characteristics, depression, substance use), and structural factors, such as living situation (family, institution, nonfamily), with sexual risk behaviors. Methods: A cohort of newly homeless youth from Los Angeles County (N = 261; aged 12–20 years) was interviewed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. At each assessment youth were asked about symptoms of depression (using...

Tags: youth; sexual health; health

Predictors of Self-Reported Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Homeless and Runaway Adolescents

Authors: Tyler, Kimberly A.; Whitbeck, Les B.; Hoyt, Dan R.; Yoder, Kevin A.

Journal Name: Journal of Sex Research

Publication Date: 2000

Path analysis was used to investigate factors associated with self-reported sexually transmitted diseases among 569 homeless and runaway adolescents in four Midwestern states. Youth were interviewed by outreach workers directly on the streets, in shelters, and in drop-in centers. Results indicated that family abuse was positively related to substance use, affiliation with friends who sold sex, and time on own. Early family abuse indirectly increased the likelihood of self-reported sexuall...

Tags: youth; health; STDs; runaways; sexual health

Prevalence of Sexual Risk Behavior and Substance Use Among Runaway and Homeless Adolescents in San Francisco, Denver and New York City

Authors: Kral, Alex; Molnar, Beth; Booth, Robert E. ; Watters, John K.

Journal Name: International Journal of STDs and AIDS

Publication Date: 1997

We aim to assess the prevalence of HIV sexual risk behaviours and substance use among runaway and homeless adolescents in San Francisco, Denver and New York City. Survey data were examined from 775 runaway and homeless adolescents recruited from street settings and youth agencies during 1992/1993. Nearly all (98%) reported having engaged in sexual intercourse, of whom 49% first had intercourse by the age of 13. Condom use during all vaginal intercourse in the previous 3 months was re...

Tags: health; HIV/AIDS; youth; runaways; sexual health

Psychiatric and Pyschosocial Correlates of Sexual Risk Behyavior among Adults with Severe Mental Illness

Authors: Meade, Christina; Sikkema, Kathleen

Journal Name: Community Mental Health Journal

Publication Date: 2007

Persons with severe mental illness (SMI) are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. This study examined multivariate correlates of sexual risk among 152 adults with SMI receiving outpatient psychiatric treatment. Structured interviews assessed psychiatric, psychosocial, and behavioral risk factors. The majority was sexually active (65%), and many reported unprotected intercourse (73%), multiple partners (45%), and sex trading (21%) in the past year. Logistic regression models found...

Tags: health; HIV/AIDS; mental health; sexual health; prevention; risk and protective factors

Reliability of Self-Reports About Sexual Risk Behavior for HIV Among Homeless Men with Severe Mental Illness

Authors: Sohler, Nancy; Colson, Paul; Meyer-Bahlburg, Heino; Susser, Ezra

Journal Name: Psychiatric Services

Publication Date: 2000

The reliability of self-reports of sexual behaviors related to HIV transmission was examined in a study of homeless men with severe mental illness. Thirty-nine patients of a New York City shelter psychiatric program were interviewed about their sexual behaviors in the past six months. The same interview was administered twice, with a one-two-week internal between interviews. Test-retest reliability was assessed using kappa and intra-class correlation coefficients. Reliability was...

Tags: HIV/AIDS; mental health; health; sexual health; emergency shelters

Outreach to Injecting Drug Users and Female Sexual Partners of Drug Users on the Lower East Side of New York City

Authors: Abdul-Quader, Abu; Des Jarlais, Don; Tross, Susan; McCoy, Edward; Morales, Gregory; Velez, Ivette

Journal Name: British Journal of Addiction

Publication Date: 1992

In 1984, outreach to injecting drug users and their female sexual partners was initiated as part of HIV behavioral research projects. HIV, health, drug treatment and family planning information and services were provided in addition to recruiting subjects to the research program. Such outreach poses certain problems, especially potential disruption of neighborhood day-to-day life and clashes with police. This paper discusses an outreach program to injecting drug users and their femal...

Tags: substance use; health; sexual health; outreach; HIV/AIDS; prevention

Reproductive Health of Homeless Adolescent Women in Seattle, Washington, USA

Authors: Ensign, Josephine

Journal Name: Women and Health

Publication Date: 2000

Objectives: Homeless adolescent women are at high risk for negative health outcomes including early unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The purpose of this study was to hear the perspectives of homeless adolescent females on the topics of health issues, self-care and fertility control, as well as on lessons from being homeless. Design: The research was descriptive, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with a purposeful sample of 20 clinic-ba...

Tags: youth; women; health; STDs; sexual health

Health Care for the Homeless Research Update Vol. VIII, No. 2

Publication Date: 2007

A publication of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Inc., and the HCH Clinicians’ Network. Production and distribution are made possible by a grant from the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA. (NHCHC)

Tags: health; sexual health; elderly; end of life care; prevention; housing; veterans; youth; substance use

Acceptability of Female Condom Use Among Women Exchanging Street Sex in New York City

Authors: Witte, Susan; El-Bassel, Nabila; Wada, Takeshi; Gray, O. ; Wallace, Joyce

Journal Name: International Journal on STDs and AIDS

Publication Date: 1999

...to having a regular sexual partner, living with someone who is a drug or alcohol abuser, not being homeless, using alcohol or intravenous heroin, having heard of the device, and having discussed the device with other women or with a regular sexual partner. Despite decreased acceptability post-use, most sex workers indicated an intention for future female condom use. (Authors)

Tags: women; health; sexual health

Positive Impact of a Shelter-Based Hepatitis B Vaccine Program in Homeless Baltimore Children and Adolescents

Authors: Schwarz, Kathleen; Garrett, Beth; Lee, Jennifer; Thompson, Douglas; Thiel, Thelma; Alter, Miriam J.; Strathdee, Stephanie

Journal Name: Journal of Urban Health

Publication Date: 2008

Homeless youth are at increased risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and HBV vaccine coverage is poor in this group. The purpose of our study was to determine if a shelter-based HBV vaccine program in children and adolescents 2–18 years of age with a randomized controlled trial using a culturally appropriate HBV video could increase HBV vaccine coverage rates. Subjects were randomized to an 8 min HBV video or a control, smoking prevention video. Before exposure to the videos, HBV knowledge, and...

Tags: youth; health; sexual health

Prevalence and Correlates of Survival Sex Among Runaway and Homeless Youth

Authors: Greene, Jody; Ennett, Susan; Ringwalt, Christopher

Journal Name: American Journal of Public Health

Publication Date: 1999

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of survival sex among runaway and homeless youths. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of shelter youths and a multicity sample of street youths were interviewed. RESULTS: Approximately 28% of street youths and 10% of shelter youths reported having participated in survival sex, which was associated with age, days away from home, victimization, criminal behaviors, substance use, suicide attempts, sexually transmitted...

Tags: youth; runaways; street population; health; sexual health