Abstract
We studied the prevalence of biologically confirmed HIV, Chlamydia, and gonorrhea in a randomly selected sample of sheltered
homeless women in New York City, and explored their association with demographic, homeless history, and clinical risk factors.
329 women were randomly selected from 28 family and single adult shelters. The estimated prevalence of HIV in the study sample
is 0.6 % (±0.3 %); for Chlamydia it is 6.7 % (±2.2 %); for gonorrhea it is 0.9 % (±0.04 %). A history of childhood sexual
abuse, arrest history, current psychotic symptoms, and substance use disorder placed women at greater risk of infection. We
consider contextual factors that may yield underestimates of HIV prevalence in our sample and discuss how a more comprehensive
prevalence estimate might be constructed. Findings underscore the importance of offering HIV/STI testing, counseling, and
HIV risk prevention interventions to homeless women and suggest that interventions should be tailored to the needs of specific
subgroups of homeless women.
homeless women in New York City, and explored their association with demographic, homeless history, and clinical risk factors.
329 women were randomly selected from 28 family and single adult shelters. The estimated prevalence of HIV in the study sample
is 0.6 % (±0.3 %); for Chlamydia it is 6.7 % (±2.2 %); for gonorrhea it is 0.9 % (±0.04 %). A history of childhood sexual
abuse, arrest history, current psychotic symptoms, and substance use disorder placed women at greater risk of infection. We
consider contextual factors that may yield underestimates of HIV prevalence in our sample and discuss how a more comprehensive
prevalence estimate might be constructed. Findings underscore the importance of offering HIV/STI testing, counseling, and
HIV risk prevention interventions to homeless women and suggest that interventions should be tailored to the needs of specific
subgroups of homeless women.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-9
- DOI 10.1007/s10461-012-0198-x
- Authors
- Carol L. M. Caton, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Nabila El-Bassel, School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Andrew Gelman, Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Susan Barrow, Division of Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051, Riverside Drive, Unit 56, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Daniel Herman, Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, New York, NY, USA
- Eustace Hsu, Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ana Z. Tochterman, Division of Mental Health Services and Policy Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051, Riverside Drive, Unit 56, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Karen Johnson, School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Alan Felix, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Journal AIDS and Behavior
- Online ISSN 1573-3254
- Print ISSN 1090-7165