Parents As an Intervention? the Association of Parental Relationships on HIV Risk-Taking Behaviors in Black Homeless Youth

Background:Black homeless youth are at high risk for HIV and yet no HIV prevention interventions have been specifically designed for this group. Given the success of parent-child intervention programs for housed Black youth, this study examines parental relationships which could be leveraged for future HIV prevention efforts targeting Black homeless youth, specifically the associations among parental types, parental influence, and parental support.

Method:A convenience sample of homeless Black youth (N=276), ages 14-27 years old, were recruited from three drop-in centers in Los Angeles. Participant completed computerized self-administered questionnaire and an interviewer-led social network interview. Sexual risk behaviors were assessed by reported condom use during last sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, and HIV testing. The presence of at least one parent in youth’s network was derived from the social network interview. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association of between parental relationships and sexual risk behaviors, controlling for demographics.

Results: Forty percent (n=113) of youth identified a parent in their network. Having at least one parent within a youth’s network was significantly associated with decreased odds of using a condom at last sex (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.33 – 0.99). Youth who had a maternal parent in their networks, however, had a 55% decrease in odds of having multiple recent sex partners (OR: 0.45. 95% CI: 0.21 – 0.96). If a youth spoke with their parent about sex and relationships, they were 4 times more likely to get tested for HIV (OR: 3.726, 95% CI: 1.21-11.012) and youth with a parent who is a positive influence (encouraging of HIV preventive behaviors) were 5 times more likely to get tested for HIV (OR: 4.51, 95% CI 1.12 -18.17).

Conclusion: The present analysis identifies significant associations between BHY reporting a parent in their network, and condom use, number of sexual partners and HIV testing. Parents, particularly those who communicate with their homeless children about sex and are a positive influence, appear to be a viable target for future intervention development for this high risk population.