TABLES: Chronically Homeless Women's Perceived Deterrents to Contraception

	Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health Volume 34, Number 6, November/December 2002
	Chronically Homeless Women's Perceived Deterrents to Contraception TABLES

TABLE 1. Percentage distribution of chronically homeless women, by selected characteristics, Los Angeles, 1997

Characteristic %
(N=229)

Age

15-24 17

25-34 44

>=35 39

Race/ethnicity

Black 58

White 15

Hispanic 17

Other 11

Education

<high school graduate 41

>=high school graduate 59

Marital status

Married 9

Widowed/separated/divorced 25

Never-married 66

Pregnant in past year

Yes 23

No 77

Frequency of vaginal sex in past year

<once per month 29

2-3 times per month 21

Once per week 9

2-6 times per week 33

Every day 8

Frequency of birth control use in past year

Rarely/never 34

Sometimes 31

Always 35

Modal living place in past 60 days

Sheltered housing 84

Outdoors 16

Depressed in past year

Yes 49

No 51

Lifetime history of alcohol abuse

Yes 46

No 54

Lifetime history of drug abuse

Yes 61

No 39

Total 100

Note: Percentages are weighted.

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TABLE 2. Percentage distribution of all chronically homeless women, by perception of potential deterrents to contraceptive use; and percentage distribution of chronically homeless women, by frequency of contraceptive use, according to perception of potential deterrents to use
Perceived deterrent	% of all women	% by frequency of use
Perceived deterrent	% of all women	Rarely/never	Sometimes	Always	Total
No place to store
No problem	78	34	31	36	100
Small problem	7	14	56	29	100
Big problem	16	45	24	32	100
Do not know where to get*
No problem	80	34	31	35	100
Small problem	7	13	29	58	100
Big problem	13	49	34	17	100
Do not know how to use***
No problem	77	27	32	41	100
Small problem	7	27	60	13	100
Big problem	17	69	19	12	100
Do not know which method to use***
No problem	60	25	33	42	100
Small problem	22	33	34	33	100
Big problem	18	66	24	11	100
Cost**
No problem	67	24	33	38	100
Small problem	12	33	23	45	100
Big problem	20	53	31	16	100
Partner dislikes using***
No problem	58	22	34	44	100
Small problem	18	38	48	14	100
Big problem	23	62	12	26	100
Side effects
No problem	60	29	34	36	100
Small problem	13	35	27	37	100
Big problem	27	44	27	29	100
Uncomfortable/unnatural*
No problem	67	29	31	40	100
Small problem	17	54	29	17	100
Big problem	16	36	35	29	100
Health risk
No problem	54	29	33	38	100
Small problem	20	43	34	24	100
Big problem	26	39	26	34	100
Total	100	na	na	na	na
p<.05. p<.01. *p<.001. Notes:* Significance levels apply to overall comparisons. Percentages are weighted. na=not applicable.

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TABLE 3. Percentage of homeless women who reported having big problems with each potential deterrent to contraceptive use, by selected characteristics
Characteristic	No place to store	Do not know where to get	Do not know how to use	Do not know which method to use	Cost	Partner dislikes using	Side effects	Uncomfortable/ unnatural	Health risk
Age
15-24	6*	9	29**	34*	14	29	26	9*	30
25-34	23	18	21	18	26	24	24	12	24
35-44	12	10	7	12	17	21	31	24	27
Race/ethnicity
White	2***	2	8***	10***	25	21**	23	17*	15**
Black	24	17	16	16	19	18	28	22	34
Hispanic	4	6	40	46	33	45	33	6	23
Other	10	5	0	0	5	19	19	0	5
Education
<high school graduate	23	17	25	23	23	35	27	15	26
>=high school graduate	11*	11	12**	15	19	15***	27	17	7
Modal living place in past 60 days
Sheltered housing	14*	11*	15	21**	20	25	31**	19*	30*
Outdoors	28	24	27	3	22	13	8	5	10
Lifetime history of drug abuse
No	6	6	8	8	10	13	22	14	18
Yes	22***	18*	23**	25***	27**	30**	29	18	32*
Lifetime history of alcohol abuse
No	9	11	22	22	21	26	27	13	21
Yes	23**	16	12*	14	20	21	27	20	33*
Depressed in past year
No	12	10	19	16	21	17	31	14	20
Yes	20	17	15	20	20	30*	23	18	33*
p<.05. p<.01. *p<.001. Note:* For age and race, significance levels apply to overall comparisons.

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TABLE 4. Odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) from logistic regression analyses assessing the risk that a homeless woman would perceive each potential deterrent to contraceptive use to be a big problem, by selected characteristics
Characteristic	No place to store	Do not where to get	Do not know how to use	Do not know which method to use	Cost	Partner dislikes using	Side effects	Uncomfortable/ unnatural	Health risk
Age
15-24	1.00	1.37	5.68	2.93	0.64	0.68	0.64	0.36	1.38
15-24	(0.12-8.61)	(0.23-8.18)	(0.95-33.86)	(0.78-10.99)	(0.10-3.99)	(0.24-1.94)	(0.17-2.37)	(0.09-1.44)	(0.49-3.91)
25-34	2.08	1.84	2.50	1.41	1.48	0.68	0.64	0.47	0.91
25-34	(0.64-6.73)	(0.48-7.12)	(0.59-10.54)	(0.41-4.83)	(0.56-3.91)	(0.24-1.92)	(0.27-1.51)	(0.17-1.30)	(0.42-1.96)
35-44 (ref)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Race/ethnicity
White/other (ref)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Black	5.48*	1.93	3.75	4.03*	0.93	1.00	1.56	3.31*	5.98***
Black	(1.34-22.5)	(0.47-7.92)	(0.48-29.49)	(1.01-16.05)	(0.24-3.54)	(0.31-3.21)	(0.49-4.93)	(1.18-9.31)	(2.59-13.85)
Hispanic	0.74	0.63	9.83*	9.64**	2.27	3.08	1.84	0.91	2.65
Hispanic	(0.08-7.05)	(0.06-6.17)	(1.11-87.38)	(1.80-51.67)	(0.54-9.58)	(0.64-14.74)	(0.29-11.90)	(0.15-5.44)	(0.64-10.96)
<high school graduate (ref)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
>=high school graduate	0.58	0.80	0.49	0.77	1.13	0.27**	0.95	0.98	1.17
>=high school graduate	(0.20-1.68)	(0.23-2.72)	(0.16-1.54)	(0.22-2.71)	(0.34-3.71)	(0.10-0.72)	(0.41-2.34)	(0.41-2.34)	(0.45-3.07)
Modal living place
Sheltered housing (ref)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Outdoors	3.07	4.04	5.64	0.14	1.56	0.89	0.09**	0.15*	0.25*
Outdoors	(0.79-11.90)	(0.72-22.50)	(0.83-38.22)	(0.02-1.10)	(0.34-7.18)	(0.98-8.08)	(0.02-0.45)	(0.03-0.65)	(0.07-0.93)
Lifetime history of drug abuse
No (ref)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Yes	2.92	3.17	7.74*	7.25**	5.21*	2.81	1.55	0.90	1.42
Yes	(0.82-10.46)	(0.86-11.73)	(1.55-38.48)	(1.72-30.52)	(1.25-21.63)	(0.98-8.08)	(0.55-4.35)	(0.33-2.48)	(0.49-4.12)
Lifetime history of alcohol abuse
No (ref)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Yes	1.29	0.68	0.19**	0.37	0.61	0.37	1.13	1.52	1.62
Yes	(0.39-4.23)	(0.18-2.55)	(0.05-0.66)	(0.10-1.40)	(0.26-1.42)	(0.12-1.14)	(0.45-2.84)	(0.54-4.28)	(0.59-4.44)
History of depression in past year
No (ref)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Yes	2.33	2.44*	0.80	0.77	0.75	2.18	0.43	1.05	1.45
Yes	(0.69-7.81)	(1.06-5.63)	(0.26-2.43)	(0.30-2.01)	(0.28-1.98)	(0.97-4.92)	(0.16-1.17)	(0.45-2.44)	(0.59-4.44)
p<.05. p<.01. **p<.001. Note: ref=reference group.

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TABLE 1. Percentage distribution of chronically homeless women, by selected characteristics, Los Angeles, 1997
Characteristic	% (N=229)
Age
15-24	17
25-34	44
>=35	39
Race/ethnicity
Black	58
White	15
Hispanic	17
Other	11
Education
<high school graduate	41
>=high school graduate	59
Marital status
Married	9
Widowed/separated/divorced	25
Never-married	66
Pregnant in past year
Yes	23
No	77
Frequency of vaginal sex in past year
<once per month	29
2-3 times per month	21
Once per week	9
2-6 times per week	33
Every day	8
Frequency of birth control use in past year
Rarely/never	34
Sometimes	31
Always	35
Modal living place in past 60 days
Sheltered housing	84
Outdoors	16
Depressed in past year
Yes	49
No	51
Lifetime history of alcohol abuse
Yes	46
No	54
Lifetime history of drug abuse
Yes	61
No	39
Total	100
Note: Percentages are weighted.