Sexual health of homeless youth: prevalence and correlates of sexually transmissible infections.

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.