HIV risk among all youth is correlated with sexual orientation, childhood abuse, and histories of foster/juvenile justice involvement. While HIV prevalence data for YEH are sparse, one study found a self-reported HIV diagnoses rate of 4%. This is particularly salient as people experiencing homelessness have higher rates of HIV than those who are stably housed. The implications of mental health needs, substance use problems, and issues unique to YEH such as the lack of stable sheltering options need to be considered with regard to HIV prevention. Unstable housing is a significant barrier to accessing and engaging in HIV care, maintaining viral suppression, and reducing HIV transmission. The mortality rate for youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) is 5 to 10 times higher than peers in the general population, and many YEH have chronic mental and physical conditions, engage in substance use, and have unmet health and mental health care needs. Securing food and shelter while experiencing the hardships and dangers of living on the streets creates enormous challenges to maintaining one’s health and well-being. Young adult homelessness continues to be a major public health problem with 1 in 10 young adults aged 18 to 25 years experiencing homelessness over the course of a year and an estimated 1.7 to 2.5 million youth under 25 years experiencing homelessness each year in the United States.
