Extreme poverty often leads homeless youth to trade sex for food, housing and money in order to meet their most basic needs. It is estimated that one in three homeless youth participate in survival sex. “Engaging in sex as a means of survival increases exposure to potential trauma for these youth and increases their vulnerability to violence, rape” (NSVRC, 2014, p. 8). Experiences of sexual violence can trigger or worsen mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and can negatively impact a youth’s ability to build trusting relationships in the future.