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Condomless Sex Among Homeless Youth: The Role of Multidimensional Social Norms and Gender

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Abstract

Most studies of condomless sex among homeless youth have focused on peer norms, while excluding other potentially pertinent influences. This study explored how different types of relationships contributed to norms about condomless sex and whether such norms were associated with engagement in condomless sex among homeless youth. Additionally, because recent work has noted gender differences in social networks of male and female homeless youth, gender differences in social network norms of condomless sex were also assessed. Egocentric network data were collected from homeless youth accessing services at two drop-in centers in Los Angeles, CA (N = 976). Multivariate analyses (non-stratified and stratified by gender) assessed associations between descriptive, injunctive, and communicative norms and participants’ engagement in condomless sex. Multivariate analyses indicated that perception of peer condom use and communication with sexual partners were significantly associated with not engaging in condomless sex. These relationships, however, varied by gender. Implications for interventions are discussed.

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Funding

This study was funded by NIMH (R01 MH093396).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, 2148 S. High St., Denver, CO, 80208, USA

    Anamika Barman-Adhikari, Stephanie Begun & Andrea Perez Portillo

  2. School of Social Work, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Hsun-Ta Hsu

  3. School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Eric Rice

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  1. Anamika Barman-Adhikari
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  2. Hsun-Ta Hsu
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  3. Stephanie Begun
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  4. Andrea Perez Portillo
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  5. Eric Rice
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Correspondence to Anamika Barman-Adhikari.

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Conflict of interest

All the authors of this study have no conflict of interest to report.

Informed Consent

The Institutional Review Board at the University of Southern California approved all survey items and procedures. Informed consent Informed consent was obtained from youth ages 18 or older, and informed assent was obtained from youth ages 13–17. The institutional review board of University of Southern California, Los Angeles waived parental consent because homeless youth younger than age 18 are considered unaccompanied minors.

Research Involving Human Participants and/or Animals

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Barman-Adhikari, A., Hsu, HT., Begun, S. et al. Condomless Sex Among Homeless Youth: The Role of Multidimensional Social Norms and Gender. AIDS Behav 21, 688–702 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1624-2

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