Social, sexual, and drug networks among drug using male sex workers in Houston, Texas
Abstract
A very limited number of studies have been conducted to investigate the influences of social networks among MSM. The present study was conducted to: 1) utilize the structure of social networks of drug using MSWs to examine HIV transmission among drug using MSWs in Houston, Texas; 2) examine the associations between social network variables and sex trading for money/drugs; 3) compare social network structures between African American and White drug using male sex workers. The study used cross-sectional data collected among 395 drugs using MSWs from 2003-2005 in Houston, Texas. The analysis found that 42% of the participants were connected in a large component. In this component, a node with a highest degree played an important role in transmitting and speeding up HIV transmission through multiple number of sex/drug relationship with other network members. People who traded sex for money or drugs were less nominated by other people and less likely to be a gate-keeper in the network than people who did not trade sex for money or drugs. The study found a higher prevalence of HIV among African Americans than White and racial homogeneity of risk behaviors. Our findings suggest that future HIV intervention take into account network factors.
Subject Area
Behavioral psychology|Public health
Recommended Citation
Ha, Doan, "Social, sexual, and drug networks among drug using male sex workers in Houston, Texas" (2013). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI3606182.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI3606182