Newly Homeless Youth Are At High Risk with Sexual Behavior

Homelessness and sexual behavior is a dangerous combination in the youthful age for any individual. Youth who has become homeless recently bear greater risks for engaging in risky sexual behavior and this may lead to HIV transmission and other sexually transmitted diseases and infections. The risk is manifolds compared to the other youth.

The study involved 261 youngsters from the Los Angeles County between 12 to 20 years of age. These youngsters were homeless at least for one day. Many of them were not living in a home for six months even. All these homeless youngsters were followed up for a study period of two years.

They were interviewed in the beginning of the study and then at regular intervals at six, twelve, eighteen, and twenty four months respectively. Researchers monitored and observed the symptoms based on certain pre-specified parameters like depression, substance abuse, living conditions, number of sexual partners and the use of condom.

Results of this study revealed that almost 77% of the youth were sexually active at the time when the study was initiated. After a period of two years, when the study was concluded, it was observed by the researchers that this number has been increased to 85%.

Youngsters who were females however, indicated their disinterest in using condoms especially when they were compelled to live in non-family set up with drugs.

Drug abuse was reported to be a dominating factor in risky sexual behavior in male and female youth both who were compelled to survive without family, family members, and homes.

Such youth was also quite open with drug abuse and the probability of having multiple sex partners was very high among this group. Hispanic female youths who were either US born or foreign born did not have multiple sex partners when compared to other female youth from different origins.

The study highlighted that gender, racial and ethnic differences are predominating factors determining the sexual risks behavior among such homeless youth. Similarly, the living conditions that do not involve any family members and the unabated drug abusing are also the contributing and determining factors responsible for such sexual risks.

Researchers believe that the interventions to minimize the sexual risks behaviors will also augment to reduce the HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) among these newly homeless youth. These youngsters must be provided with proper housing under careful supervision with a social support. This would ultimately help to control their drug habits as well.

M. Rosa Solorio, of David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles AIDS Institute expressed satisfaction that it is for the first time a study focuses on addressing structural factors making impacts on individual’s risks related to sexual behavior and drug abuse.

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