Qualitative Assessment of Venues for Purposive Sampling of Hard-to-Reach Youth

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Abstract
Background Latino youth suffer disproportionately from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but studies of the social context of their sexual behaviors are lacking. Goal Our qualitative assessment of recruitment venues in a Latino neighborhood had 3 objectives: to identify venues where youth at risk of unintended pregnancy and STIs could be found; to describe different youth “crowds”; and to investigate how and where youth meet their sex partners. Study Design We conducted ethnographic interviews with 62 youth recruited primarily from street sites. Mapping of venues was conducted with Map-Info. Results Youth crowds included the Regulars, gang-related crowds, street-economy affiliated crowds, and female crowds. Maps demonstrated the dominance of the venues in the Mission by gang members. Street sites are important venues for meeting sexual partners. Conclusion The qualitative assessment produced insights and hypotheses that can contribute to the planning of research, outreach, testing, and interventions with Latino youth.