Sexual behaviours among a cohort of street-involved youth in Vancouver

• Main Author: Marshall, Brandon David Lewis
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2008
• Subjects: Sexual behavior; HIV transmission; Sexually transmitted infection; Street youth; Homelessness
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/977

Background: Street-involved youth are known to be at a greatly increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs); however, the role that environmental and structural factors play in driving disease transmission risk among this population has not been thoroughly examined. Methods: The At Risk Youth Study (ARYS) is a prospective cohort of homeless and street-involved youth between the ages of 14 and 26. From September 2005 to October 2006, participants completed a baseline questionnaire which elicited information regarding sexual activity, injection and non-injection drug use, addiction treatment experience, encounters with police and security guards, and health service utilization. Environmental and structural correlates of number of recent sex partners were identified using quasi-Poisson regression. Factors independently associated with consistent condom use were also examined using logistic regression. Results: Among 529 participants, 415 (78.4%) were sexually active during the past six months, of whom 253 (61.0%) reported multiple sex partners and 288 (69.6%) reported inconsistent condom use during this time period. In multivariate logistic regression, homelessness and self-reported structural barriers to accessing health services were inversely associated with consistent condom use. In multivariate analysis, living in a shelter, hostel, or single room occupancy hotel was positively associated with greater numbers of recent sex partners. Structural factors that were associated with number of sex partners included having a warrant or area restriction that affects access to health services, and for males, being accosted by the police. Conclusions: Unstable housing, homelessness, and structural factors related to the criminalization and displacement of street-involved youth were associated with an increased risk of HIV and STI transmission, even after extensive adjustment for sociodemographic and individual level characteristics. These findings suggest that both environmental and structural factors influence the spread of HIV and STIs, and point to the need for environmental-structural interventions to reduce the burden of these diseases among this population.