Sexual health of homeless youth: prevalence and correlates of sexually transmissible infections
Kimberly A. Tyler A D , Les B. Whitbeck A , Xiaojin Chen B and Kurt Johnson CA Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 717 Oldfather Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0324, USA.
B Department of Sociology, Tulane University, 220 Newcomb Hall, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
C Survey Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, 327A Pond, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: kim@ktresearch.net
Sexual Health 4(1) 57-61 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH06045
Submitted: 24 July 2006 Accepted: 31 January 2007 Published: 26 February 2007
Abstract
Background: The study examined risk factors for having ever contracted sexually transmissible infections (STI) among a high-risk sample in midwestern USA. Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 428 homeless youth aged 16–19 years. Assessed correlates included child maltreatment, street exposure, sexual histories, street experiences and substance use. Results: Multivariate analyses revealed that males were 86% less likely to have had STI compared with females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.06–0.31). Blacks were almost four times more likely (AOR = 3.71; 95% CI = 1.80–7.63) and other races were over two times more likely (AOR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.08–4.67) to have had STI compared with whites. For every one unit increase in the number of times youth ran away, there was a 3% increase in the likelihood of ever having had an STI (AOR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01–1.06). For every one unit increase in frequency of condom use there was a 61% decrease in the likelihood of an STI (AOR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.10–1.76). Finally, youth who traded sex were approximately 2.5 times more likely to have had STI compared with youth who did not trade sex (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.04–5.34). None of the remaining correlates approached multivariate significance. Conclusions: The amount of time youth spend on the street, their sexual practices, and their subsistence strategies are important correlates of STI and females and non-whites are particularly vulnerable among this high-risk population.
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH 57110).
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