Journal Article

Street Youth, HIV/AIDS Prevention and the Stages of Change

Legg, Timothy, Turbow, David, Singh, Mina D., Linton, Anthony

2012

Overview

Street youth, an international issue, are at high risk for many diseases like STI’s, and alcohol and drug abuse. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey of 18 to 30 year old street youth (N = 140) was to determine which high-risk sexual and injectable drug use behaviors were most predictive of HIV status, as well as intent among street youth to modify these behaviors. This study utilized the stages of change component of the transtheoretical model of behavior change to investigate and identify participants’ current stage of change for HIV prevention interventions. Results revealed that the majority of participants (60%) were in the precontemplation stage, indicating low self-efficacy to change high-risk behaviors. Self-reported engagement in unprotected anal or vaginal sex with an HIV positive partner was a significant predictor of HIV positive status (p = .001). Other significant predictors of HIV positive status were injection of steroids (p = .033) and “other” drugs (p = .029). Findings suggest that interventions for street youth should be focused on prompting readiness to change, and on reducing high-risk sexual and injection drug use behaviors.

• Publisher: Common Ground Research Networks
• Subject: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / AIDS / Alcohol abuse / Behavior change / Behavior modification / Changes / Dietary supplements / Drug abuse / Drug use / Drugs / High risk / HIV / Hormones / Human immunodeficiency virus / Intervention / Prevention / Prevention programs / Preventive medicine / Risk behavior / Safe sexual practices / Self-efficacy / Sexually transmitted diseases / Stages of change / STD / Steroids / Street youth / Substance abuse / Transtheoretical model / Youth