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Reproductive and Other Related Health Concerns Among Women Experiencing Homelessness

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Clinical Management of the Homeless Patient

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Abstract

Women and families are the fastest growing subgroup within the homeless population. An estimated 39% of the people experiencing homelessness are women or girls, and nearly 40% of unaccompanied youth are women or girls. The number of women experiencing homelessness in unsheltered locations—the most vulnerable group of women—is also increasing. Of those experiencing homelessness in rural areas, a higher percentage is likely to be women, adding to the challenge of accessing healthcare, particularly specialty and subspecialty services. Homeless individuals, including women, suffer more mental and physical health issues, with the majority reporting long-term health problems. Homeless women have not only been shown to have worse outcomes than housed women, but also their relative risk of death is higher than that of homeless males. In this chapter, the authors will examine reproductive and other health conditions that are more prevalent or exacerbated by homelessness, as well as potential strategies to address these issues.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alison B. Hamilton

  2. VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alison B. Hamilton

  3. UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alison B. Hamilton

  4. Women’s Health Services, VHA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alicia Y. Christy

  5. Uniformed Services University, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alicia Y. Christy

  6. Howard University School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alicia Y. Christy

Authors
  1. Alison B. Hamilton
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  2. Alicia Y. Christy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alison B. Hamilton .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Washington, DC, USA

    Elspeth Cameron Ritchie

  2. Department of Veterans Affairs, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Washington, DC, USA

    Maria D. Llorente

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Hamilton, A.B., Christy, A.Y. (2021). Reproductive and Other Related Health Concerns Among Women Experiencing Homelessness. In: Ritchie, E.C., Llorente, M.D. (eds) Clinical Management of the Homeless Patient. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70135-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70135-2_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-70134-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-70135-2

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