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Women Connected to at Risk Indian Men Who Have Sex with Men: An Unexplored Network

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Abstract

Little is known about the women connected to Indian MSM and their impact on HIV risk. We surveyed 240 Indian MSM, who identified their social networks (n = 7,092). Women (n = 1,321) comprised 16.7 % of the network, with 94.7 % representing non-sexual connections. MSM were classified as having low, moderate, or high female network proportion. MSM with moderate female network proportion (8–24 % total network) had significantly lowered odds of HIV seropositivity (AOR = 0.24, 95 % CI = 0.1–0.6). This suggests moderate proportions of female connections could mediate HIV risk. HIV prevention interventions in India could consider the greater involvement of women among their target audiences.

Abstracto

Se sabe poco sobre las mujeres conectadas a HSH en India y su impacto en el riesgo de VIH. Se encuestó a 240 HSH indios, quienes identificaron sus redes sociales (n = 7,092). Las mujeres (n = 1,321) formaron al 16.7 % de la red, del cual el 94.7 % representa conexiones no sexuales. Los HSH se clasificaron como baja, moderada o alta proporción de red femenina. HSH con proporción moderada de red femenina (8–24 % del red total) tuvieron un riesgo significativamente reducido de seropositividad de VIH (AOR = 0,24; IC 95 % = 0,1–0,6). Esto sugiere que tener una proporción moderada de contactos femeninos podría atenuar el riesgo de VIH. Las intervenciones de prevención del VIH en India podrían considerar una mayor participación de las mujeres en su público objetivo.

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Acknowledgments

Author would like to thank Study Respondents, Sabitha Gandham (SHARE India) and Chuanhong Liao-University of Chicago Biostatistics Department.This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health: R21AI098599 and R21HD068352.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    Sammita Satyanarayan & Abhinav Kapur

  2. School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    Sameena Azhar

  3. Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, USA

    Vijay Yeldandi & John A. Schneider

  4. Department of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue MC 5065, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    John A. Schneider

  5. Chicago Center For HIV Elimination, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    John A. Schneider

Authors
  1. Sammita Satyanarayan
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  2. Abhinav Kapur
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  3. Sameena Azhar
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  4. Vijay Yeldandi
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  5. John A. Schneider
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John A. Schneider.

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The second author, Abhinav Kapur—deceased.

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Satyanarayan, S., Kapur, A., Azhar, S. et al. Women Connected to at Risk Indian Men Who Have Sex with Men: An Unexplored Network. AIDS Behav 19, 1031–1036 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0946-1

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