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Social network composition and sexual risk-taking among gay and bisexual men in Atlanta, GA
Catherine Finneran1, Rob Stephenson
1Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30312, USA, cafinne@emory.edu.
Abstract:
Social network composition is known to effect patterns of reported sexual risk-taking among men who have sex with men (MSM); however, consensus as to the directionality and size of these effects is lacking. We examined the relationships between novel aspects of social network composition and sexual risk-taking using a cross-sectional survey of 870 MSM. Social network composition was found to have mixed effects on reported sexual risk-taking: reporting proportionally more lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB)-identified friends and reporting friends who were on average significantly older than the respondent were both associated with reporting increased sexual risk, while reporting proportionally more LGB-identified friends in relationships and reporting a social network proportionally more aware of the respondent's homosexuality/bisexuality were both associated with reporting decreased sexual risk. The support structures created by differing social network compositions-and particularly the presence of LGB couples-may be a potential area for targeting sexual risk-reduction interventions for MSM.
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