Online Program

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

Farzana Kapadia, PhD MPH, College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY
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
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MPH, 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 2009–2011. 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.