RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: It has been proposed that homeless street girls are more likely to be from dysfunctional families and exhibit psychological distress than homeless street boys, reflecting cultural factors that result in differential norms for male and female behavior. The current analysis examined whether male and female street youth in a mid-sized Brazilian city differed in their family circumstances and day-to-day functioning on the street. METHODS: The opportunity sample consisted of 33 male (mean age 14.3, range 10-17 years) and 33 female (mean age 14.6, range 11-18 years) street youth who participated in a sentence completion task and structured interview examining family experiences and ability to meet daily needs on the street. RESULTS: Consistent with the cultural hypothesis, girls described more negative family backgrounds than boys (e.g., they were more likely to have left home because of conflict or abuse, and reported more negative relationships with their parents). However, girls' functioning on the street was similar to, and in some cases more positive than, that of boys (e.g., fewer girls reported police violence and begging to earn money). CONCLUSIONS: The few gender differences that emerged in this study offer little support for the cultural hypothesis. The findings make sense if local factors, such as services available for male and female youth and public response to street youth, are considered. It appears that street youth differ in their experiences depending on local circumstances, highlighting the need for caution in generalizing about the situation of street youth in different countries.
Assuntos
Identidade de Gênero , Jovens em Situação de Rua , Estresse Psicológico , Adolescente , Brasil , Criança , Características Culturais , Relações Familiares , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pobreza , Fatores de Risco , Fatores Sexuais , População UrbanaRESUMO
In the absence of a medical cure for AIDS, HIV-infected individuals may seek alternative treatments that are consistent with cultural and social beliefs. This paper examines beliefs about, and use of, folk healing practices by HIV-infected Hispanics receiving care at an HIV/AIDS clinic in inner-city New Jersey. Anonymous individual interviews were conducted with 58 male and 18 female HIV-infected Hispanics aged 23-55, primarily of Puerto Rican origin (61%) or descent (29%). The majority of respondents believed in good and evil spirits (73.7%); among the 56 believers, 48% stated that the spirits had a causal role in their infection, either alone or in conjunction with the AIDS virus. Two thirds of the respondents engaged in folk healing (spiritualism and/or santeria). The main desired outcomes of folk healing included physical relief (44%), spiritual relief (40%), and protection from evil (26%). A number of respondents (n = 9) stated that they hoped to effect a cure by engaging in folk healing. These results indicate that health care professionals treating HIV-positive Hispanics should be aware of the prevalence of folk beliefs and alternative healing practices in this population.
Assuntos
Infecções por HIV/etnologia , Infecções por HIV/terapia , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Hispânico ou Latino/psicologia , Medicina Tradicional , Cura Mental , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , New Jersey , Porto Rico/etnologia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Individual interviews were conducted with 379 youth who work and/or live on the streets of a large Brazilian city to assess HIV-related knowledge, sources of information, risk behaviors, and prevention beliefs and strategies. Respondents demonstrated high levels of factual knowledge about HIV transmission (84% correct) coupled with high levels of misconceptions about casual transmission (53% correct) and intermediate levels of knowledge about prevention (64% correct). Only 54% of the respondents had heard about AIDS recently, and 37.5% said they talked to someone about AIDS. The most common sources of information about HIV/AIDS were the mass-media and friends. Over half the sample reported taking precautions to reduce their risk of HIV infection; however, the proportion of youth taking effective precautions was low. Among the 247 youth (65% of the sample) who had initiated sexual activity, lifetime condom use was reported by 18%, and condom use at last intercourse by 10%. Youth with higher levels of knowledge were more likely to report behavior changes to avoid HIV infection. These findings underscore the urgent need for prevention programs tailored to street youth in developing countries.
Assuntos
Países em Desenvolvimento , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Jovens em Situação de Rua/psicologia , População Urbana , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/prevenção & controle , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/psicologia , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/transmissão , Adolescente , Brasil , Criança , Preservativos , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/psicologia , Infecções por HIV/transmissão , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde , Educação em Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Trabalho SexualRESUMO
Social networks and daily activities of children and adolescents living and/or working on the streets of a large Brazilian city were examined. Drawing on data collected through structured surveys, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations, we described street youths' family situation, social resources, institutional experiences, survival activities, and problem behaviors and investigated differences attributable to age, gender, and living situation (at home or on the street). Youngsters who lived at home and worked on the street appeared to be experiencing orderly development despite their impoverished circumstances. Youngsters who lived on the street showed hallmarks of psychological and physical risk, including parental loss, diminished social support, substance abuse, and early onset of sexual activity. Possible implications of these contextual differences for development are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.
Assuntos
Atividades Cotidianas/psicologia , Países em Desenvolvimento , Pessoas Mal Alojadas/psicologia , Desenvolvimento da Personalidade , Pobreza , Apoio Social , População Urbana , Adolescente , Brasil , Criança , Crime/prevenção & controle , Crime/psicologia , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Infecções por HIV/transmissão , Humanos , Masculino , Meio SocialRESUMO
Street youth are at risk of HIV infection worldwide. To develop effective prevention strategies, information about the meanings and functions of sexual activity for street youth is needed. In this paper, data from structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and field observations are used to build up a picture of the sexual culture of 9-to-18-year-olds living and/or working on the streets of a large Brazilian city. The findings reveal that these children and adolescents engage in sexual behavior that puts them at risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and reinforce that sex is a multi-determined and entrenched behavior in this population. Interventions must take into account the fact that for street youth, sex is used as a means of ensuring survival, seeking comfort, finding pleasure, and dealing with psychological issues that arise during adolescence.