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Abstract
Using a sample of 1,625 homeless youth and young adults aged 10 to 25 from 28 different states in the United States, this study examines the correlates of having engaged in survival sex. Findings suggest that differences exist based on demographic variables (gender, age, race, and sexual orientation), lifetime drug use (inhalants, Valium™, crack cocaine, alcohol, Coricidin™, and morphine), recent drug use (alcohol, ecstasy, heroin, and methamphetamine), mental health variables (suicide attempts, familial history of substance use, and having been in substance abuse treatment), and health variables (sharing needles and having been tested for HIV). In addition to replicating previous findings, this study's findings suggest that African American youth; gay, lesbian, or bisexual youth; and youth who had been tested for HIV were significantly more likely to have engaged in survival sex than White, heterosexual youth, and youth who had not been tested for HIV, respectively. Implications for interventions with youth and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Notes
1However, the Greene, Ennett, and Ringwalt (Citation1999) study found this pattern of increased risk for males to hold only for the shelter sample, but not for the street sample.
2Other drugs were included in the survey, but were eliminated from models presented in this article because they did not emerge as significant in the context of the multivariate models. Among others, these included cocaine, cigarettes, marijuana, mushrooms, gamma hydroxybutyric acid (more commonly known as GHB), phencyclidine (more commonly known as PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (more commonly known as LSD or acid), and OxyContin™.
Note. N = 1,625.
m Marginal significance.
p < .10. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.
a Marginally significant (p < .10) in lifetime usage.
b Marginally significant (p < .10) in recent usage.
c Not included in multivariate models because it failed to reach levels of significance.
3Thanks to an anonymous reviewer for pointing out this possibility.