Characteristics of adolescent street youth with a history of pregnancy

1
Characteristics of adolescent street youth with a
history of pregnancy

• Jean-François Boivin, MD ScD
• McGill University
• Canada
• March 2 2005
• C\\ Nancy adolescent street youth Dr Boivin

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Montreal Street Youth Research Program (1994-2005)

• OBJECTIVES
• Behaviors
• Infectious diseases
• Mortality

3
Selected results

• Increased risk of
• hepatitis B
• hepatitis C
• HIV infection
• mortality (suicide, overdose)

4
Who becomes pregnant?
5
Methods

• 225 girls from all shelters/agencies
• Years 1995-2001
• 14-19 years old
• Face-to-face interviews
• Participation 88

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Street youth definition

• During last year
• Without a place to sleep more than once,
• or
• Regularly used the services of street
  
• youth agencies

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Results (225 girls)

• Mean age 17.8 years
• One year behind in school 54
• Self-rated socio-economic background
• Comfortable 59
• Not comfortable 41

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Have you ever been pregnant?

• Yes 94
• No 131

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Ever Never
Social history
pregnant pregnant

• Foster-group home/social worker 88
  71
• Ever ran away
  79 65
• Ever kicked out
  63 47
• Age first left home
  13.9 yr 14.7 yr
• (all differences statistically significant)

10

Ever Never Alcohol
pregnant pregnant

• Problematic use 40
  25
• Ever binged 56
  51
• First binge 13.3 yr
  13.4 yr
• (no statistical difference)

11
Ever
Never Illicit drug pregnant
pregnant

• Ever use 99
  98
• Serious problem 77
  69
• Injection drug 45
  44
• (no statistical difference)

12
Ever
NeverDrug injection pregnant pregnant

• First injection 15.2 yr
  16.0 yr
• Before age 14 25
  6
• (statistically significant)

13
Ever
NeverSexual abuse pregnant
pregnant

• Any abuse 71
  56
• Vaginal/anal penetration 53
  29
• Intra-familial
  39 24
• Extra-familial 62
  42
• (all differences statistically significant)

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Conclusions

• Pregnancy common (42)
• Pregnancy associated with
• Residential instability
• Early drug injection
• Severe sexual abuse

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LIMITATIONS
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Study limitations Descriptive study

• Generalizability ?
• Self reports
• Temporal relationships What came first?
• e.g., drug injection or pregnancy?

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Mean age at various events
Event (1st time) Mean
age

• Homeless
  14.4 yr
• Ran away
  13.1 yr
• Kicked out
  13.9 yr
• Drug binge
  13.8 yr
• Drug injection
  15.6 yr
• Voluntary intercourse
  13.7 yr
• Sexual abuse
  8.1 yr

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(No Transcript)
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Haley N, Roy E, Leclerc P, Boudreau JF, Boivin JF

• J Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology 2004
• 17 313-320

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Vivarini, Antonio (1415-1484) Vivarini,
Alise (1445-1505)

• Bellini, Giovanni (1426-1516)

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jean-f.boivin_at_mcgill.ca
www.wga.hu