HIV-Risk Practices Among Homeless and Low-Income Housed Mothers

Conclusions

Homeless mothers, most of whom are still of childbearing age, constitute a subgroup of low-income women at high risk for HIV. They are an important target group for developing and implementing preventive interventions. However, our findings highlight the importance of addressing the relationship between child and adult victimization experiences and subsequent risk behavior in low-income women in general. Maximizing opportunities for low-income women to acquire the skills and information necessary for economic and social equity must accompany strategies for strengthening their safe-sex negotiation skills. For extremely poor mothers, the risk of contracting HIV infection is one of many immediate threats to their survival. Ignoring the complex context in which HIV risk occurs will only lead to failed interventions for this vulnerable group of women.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH47312) and (MH51479) and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MJC250809). The authors would like to acknowledge the important contributions of the project interviewers: Jocelyne Baudry; Nancy Popp, EdD; Meg Brooks; Angela Browne, PhD; and John Buckner, PhD; and of Amy Salomon, PhD, for her comments on the manuscript.