Beliefs and behavioral intentions regarding human immunodeficiency virus testing among New York City runaways.
From 1988 to 1991, 139 runaways aged 11-19 years in the New York City area (n = 70 males, 69 females) were recruited from four shelters. Each runaway participated in a semistructured interview assessing beliefs and behavioral intentions regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. When asked how they would respond to being seropositive for HIV, 29% of runaways reported that they would engage in self-destructive acts and/or harm others (e.g., suicide, unprotected sex), 80% anticipated extreme distress, 47% expected difficulty securing housing and food, and 61% believed that friends were likely to avoid them. When presented with specific alternatives, fewer runaways anticipated self-destructive acts. Drug use, rather than sexual behaviors, would lead runaways to get tested for HIV. These results suggest that health-care providers must anticipate emotional distress and potential self-destructive behavior following receipt of documentation of HIV positive serostatus among runaways. Furthermore, prior to testing, youths' access to food, shelter, medical care, and social support must be secured.
Koopman
C
C
Division of Child Psychiatry, Columbia University.
Rotheram-Borus
M J
MJ
Dobbs
L
L
Gwadz
M
M
Brown
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012307:Risk Factors; D012419:Runaway Behavior; D012944:Social Support