Trading sex: Voluntary or coerced? The experiences of homeless youth

Trading sex: voluntary or coerced? The experiences of homeless youth.

This study examined the circumstances surrounding a homeless youth's "decision" to trade sex for food, money, shelter, or drugs. Forty homeless youth in 4 Midwestern states participated in individual in-depth qualitative interviews. Interviewers recruited youth both through service agencies and through street outreach. The findings revealed that approximately 1/3 of the sample had some experien...

Challenges to immunization: the experiences of homeless youth

BACKGROUND Homelessness is a critical social issue, both a product of, and contributing to, poor mental and physical health. Over 150,000 young Canadians live on the streets. Homeless youth experience a high incidence of infectious diseases, many of which are vaccine preventable. Early departure from school and limited access to public health services makes them a particularly vulnerable high-r...

Risk factors for trading sex among homeless young adults.

Although numerous homeless youth report trading sex, few studies have examined risk factors associated with trading sex and even fewer have employed multivariate analyses to examine this relationship, even though trading sex is associated with many negative health outcomes. Based on a sample of 151 homeless young adults in the midwestern United States, logistic regression analyses revealed that...

Forgotten Youth: Homeless LGBT Youth of Color and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

Over the years, the rate of youth homelessness in America has steadily risen, prompting the creation and subsequent revision of corrective policies. One such policy is the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act of 1974. The Act is not a cure-all for homelessness, but it does provide services and programs specifically designed to aid homeless youth. It has had some success, but not all homeless youth be...

Self-Mutilation and Homeless Youth: The Role of Family Abuse, Street Experiences, and Mental Disorders