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Pregnancy

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Runaway and Homeless Youth

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Abstract

This chapter assesses the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of adolescent pregnancy among runaway and homeless young people and adolescents in the general population. Risk factors such as low socioeconomic status, demographic factors, family dysfunction, school difficulties, survival sex, sex trafficking, low condom use, multiple sexual partners, partner coercion and violence, community violence, and substance use may increase the risk of teen pregnancy among female street youth. This chapter evaluates the degree to which adolescent mothers may suffer miscarriages and other adverse health outcomes due to partner violence. The pregnant teens’ limited access to health care, poor nutrition and other health problems, ineffective social support, unstable living arrangements, and other difficult living conditions increase the probability of poor maternal, neonatal, and child health outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nursing and Health Sciences, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA, USA

    Stephen J. Morewitz

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Morewitz, S.J. (2016). Pregnancy. In: Runaway and Homeless Youth. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30863-0_13

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