Journal of Infection and Public Health
Volume 2, Issue 4 , Pages 177-183, 2009

Social network methodology for studying HIV epidemiology in men having sex with men

  • Shui Shan Lee

      Affiliations

    • Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: 2/F School of Public Health, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. Tel.: +852 22528812; fax: +852 26354977.
    • ,
  • Dennise Ka Po Tam

      Affiliations

    • Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • ,
  • Raymond Lei Ming Ho

      Affiliations

    • Special Preventive Programme, Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Department of Health, Hong Kong
    • ,
  • Ka Hing Wong

      Affiliations

    • Special Preventive Programme, Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Department of Health, Hong Kong

Received 6 June 2009; received in revised form 10 September 2009; accepted 10 September 2009.

Abstract 

A self-administered network-based questionnaire survey was conducted on 91 HIV-positive Chinese men having sex with men (MSM). Affiliation matrices were created to assess their networking pattern. The individuals’ preferential use of venues for sex partnership before HIV infection has changed over three time periods of 1997–2000, 2001–2003 and 2004–2006. Over time, there was a parallel increase in network density (density scores from 0.26, through 0.36, to 0.53) and degree centrality (from a median score of 9, through 12, to 16), suggesting that connectivity of MSM was becoming higher through sexual networks. The overall practice of unprotected sex has, however, remained the same. The study demonstrated how the application of social network analysis could enrich the epidemiologic description of HIV infection in the population.

Keywords: HIV, Men having sex with men, MSM, Social network analysis

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PII: S1876-0341(09)00063-X

doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2009.09.002

Journal of Infection and Public Health
Volume 2, Issue 4 , Pages 177-183, 2009

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