Early life circumstances as contributors to HIV infection.
Adolescents may come from family settings that heighten their vulnerability to early sexual initiation, promiscuity and sexual exploitation. Using qualitative data, we illustrated how early life and family circumstances including neglectful or dysfunctional parenting, sexual abuse, and unstable housing placed young women on a risk trajectory for HIV infection. Five representative cases from a sample of 26 adolescent and young adult HIV-infected females (ages 16-24) who participated in a study about the disease-related adaptive challenges they faced are discussed. Study participants were recruited from five New York City adolescent HIV clinics that provided comprehensive specialty medical and ancillary social services to adolescents and young adults with the disease. The findings revealed that these young women's unmet need for love, protection, and feeling valued left them vulnerable to exploitive relationships with men who were often significantly older and resulted in their HIV infection.
a Mailman School of Public Health , Columbia University , New York , New York , USA.
Karolynn
K
Siegel
Helen-Maria
HM
Lekas
Destiny
D
Ramjohn
Eric
E
Schrimshaw
Nancy
N
VanDevanter
D000293:Adolescent; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D015438:Health Behavior; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012309:Risk-Taking; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
HIV; adolescents; dysfunctional parenting; early life circumstances; early sexual initiation; risk behavior