Original article
A risk profile of street youth in Northern California: Implications for gender-specific human immunodeficiency virus prevention

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(97)00033-5Get rights and content

Purpose:

To assess human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors of street youth and to determine whether risk behaviors differ by gender or housing status.

Methods:

Using systematic street-based sampling in four Northern California cities, we recruited 429 street youth (mean age = 19.2 years). Participants completed a structured interview which was used to assess sexual and drug HIV risk behaviors.

Results:

The majority of youth were heterosexual (85%), white (77%), male (68%), and currently without any type of stable housing (75%). Although 60% of the sample had had vaginal sex in the past 30 days, only 44% used a condom the last time they had sex. About one-third (32%) of the sample reported ever injecting drugs, and almost all reported lifetime use of multiple drugs including d-lysergic acid diethylamide (96%), marijuana (90%), alcohol (81%), cocaine (70%), and speed (70%). Compared to males, females were equally likely to use injection and noninjection drugs, but were more likely to be sexually active (P < .001), were more likely to have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (P = .005), and were less likely to report consistent condom use (P = .003) or intent to use condoms consistently in the future (P = .005). Compared with those with stable housing, youth who were currently without such housing reported higher rates of injection, and other drug use; females without stable housing were less likely to have used condoms the last time they had vaginal intercourse.

Conclusion:

The high level of HIV risk behavior in this street-based sample of youth, particularly females and youth without stable housing, suggests an urgent need for gender-specific prevention efforts and an increased range of housing options.

References (43)

  • Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco

    Street youth at risk for AIDS: Final report prepared for the National Institute on Drug Abuse

    (1995)
  • ShafferD et al.

    Runaway and homeless youth in New York City: A report to the Ittelson Foundation

    (1984)
  • ShermanDJ

    The neglected health care needs of street youth

    Pub Health Rep

    (1992)
  • Rotheram-BorusMJ et al.

    Reducing HIV sexual risk behaviors among runaway adolescents

    JAMA

    (1991)
  • KipkeM et al.

    Street youth in Los Angeles: profile of a group at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus infection

    Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med

    (1995)
  • ReulerJB

    Outreach health services for street youth

    J Adolesc Health

    (1991)
  • YatesGL et al.

    A risk profile comparison of runaway and non-runaway youth

    Am J Pub Health

    (1988)
  • Rotheram-BorusMJ et al.

    Homeless youths and HIV infection

    Am Psychol

    (1991)
  • GreenblattM et al.

    Life-styles, adaptive strategies, and sexual behaviors of homeless adolescents

    Hosp Commun Psychiatry

    (1993)
  • RobertsonMJ et al.

    Alcohol use and abuse among homeless adolescents in Hollywood

    Contemp Drug Prob

    (1989)
  • SchalwitzJ et al.

    Prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV in a homeless youth medical clinic in San Francisco

  • Cited by (0)

    This work was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cooperative Agreement U62/CCU907198-03.

    View full text