Structure of Chicago neighborhoods: How race, class, and geography influence sexual tie formation in YMSM

Black young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are particularly affected by the HIV epidemic, with an annual incidence estimated as high as 6.4%, higher than any other age, race, or risk group. However, mechanisms which produce these racial disparities in HIV are poorly understood, and many in the field are calling for a broader systems-level perspective that examines the epidemic from a multilevel social-contextual framework.

In order to understand the role of these important social contextual attributes in the formation of sexual relationships, this analysis will focus on examining bipartite sexual connections between the 77 Chicago community areas. Specifically, the sexual connections of YMSM between community areas will be described and the social contextual factors leading to increased sexual tie formation will be examined. Data come from a network of 3,140 individuals captured through 175 social network interviews with Chicago YMSM. Results indicate that sexual ties are significantly influenced by racial preferences (in particular, a dis-preference for predominantly Black neighborhoods) (p < 0.001), geographic distance (p = 0.001), and a preference for ties to neighborhoods with similar income (p < 0.001). These results suggest several mechanisms for how social contextual factors may impact the sexual network structure of individuals and their communities, and therefore affect the flow of disease through a population.