275453
Social network characteristics and sexual risk taking among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of young, urban men who have sex with men
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Daniel E. Siconolfi, MPH,
Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY
Staci Barton, MPH,
Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies, College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY
Background: Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are over-represented among HIV/AIDS cases with stark racial/ethnic disparities in HIV infection. However, differences in individual-level risk behaviors do not fully account for the racial/ethnic disparity in HIV infection. As such, the objective of this study was to examine associations between social network characteristics and sexual risk taking behaviors among racially/ethnically diverse young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Methods: Egocentric network data were collected at the baseline visit of a prospective cohort study of YMSM (n=501) recruited in New York City from 20092011. Using these data, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between social network characteristics and sexual risk taking behaviors among Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White YMSM. Results: In bivariate analysis, there were key differences in network size, composition, communication frequency and average relationship duration by race/ethnicity. In multivariable analyses, after controlling for individual level sociodemographic, psychosocial and relationship factors, having a sexual partner in one's social network was associated with sexual risk taking for both Hispanic/Latino (AOR=3.90) and White YMSM (AOR=4.93). Conclusions: These findings warrant further examination of similarities and differences in key network characteristics across racial/ethnic groups to allow for a better understanding of the extant mechanisms for provision of peer based HIV related support to racially/ethnically diverse YMSM at risk for HIV.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Epidemiology
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Identify salient differences in social network characteristics across racial/ethnic groups of YMSM.
Compare differences in key social network characteristics by race/ethnicity as they relate to involvement in HIV related sexual risk behaviors among YMSM.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Co-Investigator on this study as well as others focusing on the epidemiology of drug use and sexual risk taking among high risk groups (e.g. IDUs, YMSM, adolescents, etc). Finally, I supervised the data collection, conducted all analysis and wrote up the results.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
