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Show Results Encounters. The clinic operated one evening per week to provide health care services to homeless youth. In the first two years of operation, 132 patients made 534 visits to the clinic, resulting in 526 diagnoses. The mean number of visits per female client was 4.5 (range 1-47) and per male client, 2.8 (range 1-28). Demographics. The average age of the youths seen was 19.1 years (range 12-25), with the average age of females being 18.3 years (range 16-23), and of males, 20.4 years (range 12-25). Females represented 44% of patients seen and 50% of the total encounters. Approximately 92.8% of the 114 youths responding to the question of ethnicity were Caucasian, 3.5% were Hispanic, 0.9% were African American, and 2.8% were of mixed ethnic origin. Substance Use. Numerous studies have shown that homeless youth report high rates of substance abuse including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (Farrow & Deisher, 1992; Kipke, 1991, Bailey, 1998). Consistent with these findings, the clinic found a significant rate of substance use in the homeless youth population of Salt Lake City. During a nine month period, all youth attending Substance %of % of Females Males n=32 n=33 Alcohol 61 84 Cocaine/Crack 52 59 Downers 27 34 Ecstasy 33 28 Heroine 21 25 Inhalants 36 25 LSD 58 69 Marijuana 85 91 Methamphetamines 54 63 Nicotine 70 75 PCP 21 19 Prescription Drugs 48 66 Speed 48 59 Other 24 31 Table 1. Substance Use by Gender (July 1998-April 1999). the clinic were asked to complete a survey on their current substance use patterns (Caswell, Sheets, & Abbott, 1999). Of the 65 youth (33 males and 32 females) who completed the survey, 95% of clients reported using at least one substance. Marijuana was the most widely used substance amongst both males and females. See Table 1. Laboratory Tests Performed. A total of 327 lab tests were performed throughout the two-year interval. Tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) accounted for 24% of all the laboratory tests performed, followed by HIV tests at 23%. Pregnancy and rapid streptococcus tests followed, each reaching approximately 11% of tests performed. See Table 2. In addition to the above laboratory tests, 23 tuberculin skin tests were placed during the two year period. Of the individuals that were given the tuberculin test, 91% returned to have the tests read. No positive PPDs were reported. Seventy-five HIV tests were drawn on 37 patients. Of those, no positive HIV tests were reported; 2 patients self-reported previously testing HIV positive. 30 |
