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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -           Physical and Reproductive Health      

# Physical and Reproductive Health

Runaway youth and youth affected by homelessness experience negative physical and reproductive health consequences as a result of their experiences and face a range of barriers in accessing health care. As a result, youth experiencing homelessness are less likely to have access to medical care.1

## Health

                      - Youth experiencing homelessness face higher rates of chronic health problems than their peers, and lack of health care often results in more advanced stages of chronic health problems. 2
                      - Youth experiencing homelessness have a higher incidence of trauma-related injuries. 3
                      - Youth experiencing homelessness have more nutritional problems, including obesity and food deprivation and starvation due to limited accessibility to food and food with poor nutritional quality. 4
                      - Similar to adults experiencing homelessness, many youth affected by homelessness experience bad oral health as a result of poor nutrition and a lack of dental services. 5
                      - Studies of youth experiencing homelessness in families also primarily reported poorer health than other youth experiencing poverty and the general population. 6

## Teen Pregnancy

                      - Youth may experience homelessness as a result of family conflict resulting from teen pregnancy. 7
                      - Teen mothers are at higher risk of experiencing homelessness than their peers 8
                      - Compared to women who become mothers at a later age, teen mothers are more likely to experience homelessness at a younger age. 9
                      - Teen mothers experiencing homelessness  are often served by interventions targeted at families rather than youth. 10
                      - Compared to the national average of ten percent, 48 percent of street youth and 33 percent of shelter youth have been pregnant or have impregnated someone. 11
                      - Pregnant teens experiencing homelessness lack financial resources and adequate health care resulting in increased risk for low birth weight babies and high infant mortality. 12
                      - Teenage girls experiencing homelessness who are away from home for long periods of time, have dropped out of school, have a  sexually transmitted disease (STD), and/or feel abandoned by their family are at higher risk of getting pregnant. 13
                      - Research suggests that ten percent of shelter/street youth are currently pregnant. 14
                      - The higher rates of pregnancy may be the result of sex at an early age, survival sex, and/or inconsistent use of birth control. 15
                      - Youth with STDs are more likely to be pregnant than those without. 16

## HIV/STDs

                      - Unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness have a higher risk of contracting STDs due to risky sexual behaviors, multiple partners, drug use, and inconsistent condom use. 17
                      - Runaway youth and youth experiencing homelessness are  six to twelve times more likely to become infected with HIV than other youth. 18

## Barriers

Runaway youth and youth experiencing homelessness face a range of barriers that make access to health care more difficult. Examples of these include
                      - lack of transportation;
                      - address requirements for paperwork;
                      - lengthy processing time for paperwork;
                      - lack of financial resources or health insurance;
                      - lack awareness about where and how to access health care supports;
                      - confidentiality issues;
                      - a need for parental consent;
                      - distrust of adults and professional agencies;
                      - denial on the part of the youth of need for care; and
                      - lack of coordinated services and outreach for youth experiencing homelessness. 19

In addition, for many of these young people, health care may not be a priority over day-to-day survival issues.20

Federal programs and shelters can help to provide services to youth or connect them to appropriate services to ensure that they receive the health care supports that they need and prevent chronic health issues. Maternity group homes provide additional services for pregnant and parenting youth to educate them in taking care of a child. Learn more about the different types of federal programs. A range of prevention efforts have also focused on preventing HIV/AIDS and other STDs among youth experiencing homelessness and runaway youth. One example is Street Smart which you can learn more about on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

## Resources

**Homelessness Resource Center: Homeless Populations**The Homelessness Resource Center, supported by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is an interactive community of providers, consumers, policymakers, researchers, and public agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. The Center shares state-of-the art knowledge and promising practices to prevent and end homelessness through the following:
                      - Training and technical assistance
                      - Publications and materials
                      - On-line learning opportunities
                      - Networking and collaboration

The Center includes a section focused specifically on youth.

**Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center**This is a centralized national resource for Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) grantees funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau at HHS. Training and Technical Assistance Services are directed at assisting RHY grantees to engage in continuous quality improvement of their services and to build their capacity to effectively serve runaway youth and youth experiencing homelessness.

**Primer on How to Use Medicaid to Assist Persons Who are Homeless to Access Medical, Behavioral Health, and Support Services**This document from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides information to help to connect people experiencing homelessness with critical Medicaid benefits.

**Health Care for the Homeless**This site from the Health Resources and Services Administration provides data on the number of patients served and includes information on patients by age and gender. Of these grantees, over 102,000 youth under the age of 18 were served according to data updated in 2014.

**Chapin Hall: Youth Experiencing Homelessness Who Are Pregnant or Parenting**This comprehensive and easy to read report from Chapin Hall discusses recent data and findings on youth experiencing homelessness while also pregnant or parenting. It addresses common causes, current challenges in serving this population, and provides recommendations for moving forward.

## References

1 Shinn, et al. , 20082 Terry, Bendi, & Patel, 20103 Terry, Bendi, & Patel, 20104 Terry, Bendi, & Patel, 20105 HRSA, 20016 Samules, Shimm, & Buckner, 20107 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 20088 Greene and Ringwalt, 19989 Greene and Ringwalt, 199810 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200811 Greene and Ringwalt, 199812 Thompson, Bender, Lewis, & Watkins, 2007; HRSA, 200113 Thompson, Bender, Lewis, & Watkins, 200714 Greene and Ringwalt, 1998; Solorio et al. 200615 Toro, Dworsky, & Fowler, 200716 Thomson, Bender, Lewis, & Watkins, 200817 Noell, Rohde, Ochs, Yovanoff, Alter, Schmid, Bullard, & Black, 200118 Rotheram-Borus, Song, Gwadz, Lee, Van Rossem, & Kooperman, 200319 HRSA, 2001; Terry, Bendi, & Patel, 201020 HRSA, 2001; Terry, Bendi, & Patel, 2010

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Agencies 

                          - Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control

### Announcements 

                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - Observance: 2023 Global Diversity Awareness Month
                          - Permanency for Youth on Their Own Terms
                          - Pride Month Census Data
                          - Recent Event: HUD Awards Nearly $500,000 to Public Housing Authorities to Help Young People Aging out of Foster Care
                          - Report: A Guide to Effective Collaborations with Community-Based Organizations to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Report: Food Insecurity and Health-Related Concerns Among Elementary Schoolteachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
                          - Report: Fulfilling America’s Future: Latinas in the U.S., 2015
                          - Report: Homelessness and Housing Instability Among LGBTQ Youth
                          - Report: Lessons from a Historic Decline in Child Poverty
                          - Resource: “My Dream Home” Activity
                          - Resource: ACS-ED Data
                          - Resource: Activate: The Center to Bring Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Research to Youth-Supporting Professionals
                          - Resource: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers Podcast Series
                          - Resource: All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness
                          - Resource: American Community Survey Resources for American Indian and Alaska Native Populations
                          - Resource: Ask Youth Challenge
                          - Resource: Broadband Access Landscape
                          - Resource: Child Welfare in the News
                          - Resource: Core Youth Outcomes in Youth of Color
                          - Resource: Determining Youth and Young Adult Eligibility for Services: Grantee Tools and Processes
                          - Resource: Federal Student Aid and Homeless Youth
                          - Resource: From Evidence to Action: A Federal Homelessness Research Agenda
                          - Resource: Going to a Public Disaster Shelter During the COVID-19 Pandemic
                          - Resource: Highlights From the 2020 Juvenile Residential Facility Census
                          - Resource: Homeless Resources
                          - Resource: Housing Services
                          - Resource: John H. Chafee Foster Care for Successful Transition to Adulthood Program Resource List
                          - Resource: Joint Letter Regarding the Assignment of Rights to Child Support for Children in Foster Care
                          - Resource: LGBTQIA2S+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Mental Health Awareness Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Most Kids with Parent in Same-Sex Relationship Live with Female Couple
                          - Resource: NCFY
                          - Resource: OnTheMap for Emergency Management
                          - Resource: Placement Stability
                          - Resource: Reducing Homelessness Among Young People Transitioning from Foster Care
                          - Resource: Reducing Homelessness Among Young People Transitioning from Foster Care
                          - Resource: Reentry to Foster Care
                          - Resource: Rethinking Service Array for Young People Transitioning from Child Welfare
                          - Resource: Runaway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
                          - Resource: Screening and Assessment Tools
                          - Resource: September 2022 Spotlight on Kinship Care
                          - Resource: Student Homelessness in America: School Years 2019-20 to 2021-22
                          - Resource: Supporting Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Questions to Consider
                          - Resource: Supporting LGBTQI+ Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (The National SOGIE Center) 
                          - Resource: Tip Sheets on Everyday Parenting Topics
                          - Resource: Transporting Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Unregulated Custody Transfers of Adopted Children
                          - Resource: Voices Amplified
                          - Resource: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2021 Data
                          - Resource: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2021 Data
                          - Resource: Youth Voices
                          - Resource: Youth Voices
                          - Second Chance Month: April 2023
                          - Share with Youth: 1-800-RUNAWAY Public Service Announcement (PSA)
                          - Toolkit: National Foster Care Month 2022 Outreach
                          - Webinar Recording: Elevating the Leadership of Students and Families with Lived Expertise
                          - Webinar Recording: Homelessness in Foster Care: What Would Really Keep Foster Youth From Sleeping in Offices
                          - Webinar Recording: Providing Emergency Preparedness Supports for Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Webinar Recording: Supporting English Learners (ELs) Experiencing Homelessness: An ARP-HCY Implementation Spotlight
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - Atlanta Housing Authority
                          - Resources
                          - Y2CONNECT.org

### Data Sources 

                          - 2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report
                          - American FactFinder
                          - Resources for Young Parents & Children Experiencing Homelessness

### Feature Articles 

                          - Father’s Day 2012 – Reconnecting Families and Dads Saturday, June 16th, 2012
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Minnesota's Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth Program
                          - Nation's Housing Authorities to Celebrate Fathers Day
                          - Report on Well-Being of Nation’s Children Released
                          - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development/GreatSchools Partnership – Coordinating Housing Assistance with Educational Opportunities

### Programs 

                          - Administration for Children and Families/Family and Youth Services Bureau Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
                          - Choice Neighborhoods
                          - Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Toolkit
                          - Family Unification Program
                          - John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
                          - Neighborhood Networks
                          - Public and Indian Housing
                          - Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency Program

### Publications 

                          - Healthy Homes Program Brochure
                          - HUD Strategic Plan FY 2010 -2015
                          - Seven Steps to a Healthy Home
                          - Transitional Living Programs and Relationships with Landlords

### Resources 

                          - Ending Housing Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals and Families
                          - Report: Fulfilling America’s Future: Latinas in the U.S., 2015
                          - The Equal Access to Housing Rule and Youth
                          - Webinar Recording: Helping the LGBTQIA+ Community Before Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation Considerations

### Technical Assistance 

                          - Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
                          - Homelessness Resource Center
                          - Office of Public and Indian Housing Training and Technical Assistance
                          - Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers
                          - Rural Information Center

### Tools & Guides 

                          - Healthy Homes Website
                          - Rural Development Funding Notices

### Websites 

                          - Interagency Council on Homelessness

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

- Homelessness and Runaway
- Federal Definitions
- Rates
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- LGBT
- Education
- Child Welfare
- Juvenile Justice
- Behavioral Health
- Physical & Reproductive Health
- Resources for Young Parents & Children Experiencing Homelessness
- Federal Programs
- Interagency Efforts
- Federal Data Sources
- References

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### Agencies

Resource: Survivor-Informed Services Among Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

Resource: Survivor-Informed Services Among Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

Resource: Survivor-Informed Services Among Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

### Announcements

Resource: Student Homelessness in America: School Years 2019-20 to 2021-22

Resource: Voices Amplified

Resource: American Community Survey Resources for American Indian and Alaska Native Populations

### Collaboration Profiles

Y2CONNECT.org

Resources

Atlanta Housing Authority

### Data Sources

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles

Resources to Support Youth Who Have Lost a Caregiver

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

A Hand and Paw Partnership Benefits Homeless Youth

### Hotlines

Resource: National Runaway Safeline (NRS) | (1800runaway.org)

Resource: National Runaway Safeline (NRS) | (1800runaway.org)

### Publications

What Factors Predict Whether Youth Will Run Away or Become Homeless Again After Returning Home?

Transitional Living Programs and Relationships with Landlords

SNAP: Clarification of Policies Barriers Facing Homeless Youth

### Resources

Webinar Recording: Helping the LGBTQIA+ Community Before Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation Considerations

Share with Youth: Youth Speak Out: Shared Experiences Help Rural Youth Leaders Connect

Resource: Data on Homeless Students