SAVA syndemic and comorbid HIV risks among youth transitioning from the U.S. juvenile legal system

Abstract

To date, no studies have examined well-established associations between substance abuse, intimate partner violence, and an increased susceptibility to HIV (also known as the SAVA syndemic), among transitioning age youth in the U.S. juvenile legal system. This secondary data analysis addresses this gap using baseline and 7th wave data from the Pathways to Desistance study (N = 709). We examined the relationship between SAVA syndemic variables, mental health, and HIV testing, differentiated by gender, while controlling for neighborhood conditions, motivation to succeed, and sociodemographic variables among cisgender, youth involved in the juvenile legal system using cross-sectional logistic regression and path models. 50% endorsed intimate partner violence. In path analyses, among males and females, neighborhoods (β = 0.18, p<.01) and illegal drug use (β= −0.91, p<.05) had significant direct effects on testing. Findings underscore the need for gender-specific HIV prevention policies targeting transitioning youth in the juvenile legal system.

Keywords:

• HIV
• juvenile legal system
• neighborhoods
• SAVA syndemic
• transitioning youth

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the young adults who participated in Pathways to Desistance for bravely sharing their stories, and the Pathways to Desistance team for their significant contributions to science. The authors declare no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article can be made available by the authors upon request, without undue reservation.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.