Predictors of sexual risk behaviors among newly homeless youth: a longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To longitudinally examine the association between newly homeless youth individual factors (sociodemographic characteristics, depression, substance use), and structural factors, such as living situation (family, institution, nonfamily), with sexual risk behaviors.


METHODS
A cohort of newly homeless youth from Los Angeles County (N = 261; aged 12-20 years) was interviewed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. At each assessment youth were asked about symptoms of depression (using the Brief Symptom Inventory), substance use, living situation, and sexual risk behaviors (number of sexual partners and condom use). Random effects models were used to determine the effects of predictors on the number of sexual partners and on condom use over time, by gender.


RESULTS
At baseline, 77% of youth had been sexually active, increasing to 85% of youth at 24 months of follow-up. For predictors of multiple sexual partners, among male youth, these included living in nonfamily settings and using drugs; among females, living situation was not predictive of having multiple sexual partners but drug use was. For condom use, among females, living in a nonfamily setting and drug use decreased the odds of always using condoms; for males, no factors were found to be predictive of condom use.


CONCLUSIONS
Living with nonfamily members and drug use appear to be the most salient in explaining sexual risk among newly homeless youth. Our findings indicate that interventions aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviors, and thereby reducing sexually transmitted diseases and HIV among newly homeless youth, need to help youth in finding housing associated with supervision and social support (family and institutional settings) as well as aim to reduce drug use.
Solorio
M Rosa
MR
University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Family Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024-4142, USA. rsolorio@mednet.ucla.edu
Rosenthal
Doreen
D
Milburn
Norweeta G
NG
Weiss
Robert E
RE
Batterham
Philip J
PJ
Gandara
Marla
M
Rotheram-Borus
Mary Jane
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D018453:Homeless Youth; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders