HOMELESS
the green
The homeless population is at high risk for HIV/AIDS for a number of reasons. Many are unaware that they are at high risk in the first place (1C). In a study conducted of homeless and marginally housed adults in San Francisco, it was reported that 3.5% of those that are at high risk for HIV reported no testing prior to the study (1E). This indicates that they either lacked the ability to receive a test or they simply thought they did not need one (1E). This is simply not the case. A study indicated that 85% of homeless people and populations that frequent soup kitchens share needles, 40% borrow needles, and 70% not take proper sanitary precautions in sterilizing their injection equipment (1B). This same study indicated that this high-risk drug abusing population actually considers themselves at lower risk for contracting HIV (1B). Homeless populations are more likely to frequent shooting galleries while using drugs because there is no need for them to purchase their own equipment (1C). In conjunction with this, if the homeless simply carry around injection equipment and drug paraphernalia, they are at greater risk for arrest (1C). A study of homeless youths confirmed this showing that as housing stability decreased, use of shooting galleries increased (1F).
In addition to risk behaviors involving unsafe IV drug use, homeless populations are also at risk for engaging in harmful sexual practices (1D). A study of predominantly African American homeless showed that homeless had an average of six sexual partners per month in the 6 month duration of the study as well as 20% having exchanged sex for money and 28% having exchanged sex for drugs (1G). In addition16% of this population was unaware that condoms can lower the risk of transmitting HIV (1G). The frequency of unprotected vaginal sex was 7.9 times per six months (IG). Another study confirmed that as housing stability decreases, sex work (i.e. prostitution) increases (1F).