Objective

This study is part of current and ongoing research conducted with system-involved youth in Baltimore City that began in 2012. It is designed to identify the sexual and reproductive health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and the related protective and risk factors. The knowledge gained from this research can be used to determine best practices for implementation of preventive interventions related to sexual reproductive health outcomes for this vulnerable population.

Conclusion

This study examined survey data to assess the overall sexual reproductive health behaviors for youth aged 14–21 in out-of-home care in an urban environment. Youth were recruited between 2012 and 2016; 76.4% of these teens had had sexual intercourse at some point in their lifetime. Of these, 86.0% were sexually active before the age of 16. Although there were numerous risk factors related to contraception and condom use as well as partner demographics, there were assets or strengths identified. A discussion of how these findings can be utilized to develop effective prevention intervention strategies is provided.

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