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Young Men’s Social Network Characteristics and Associations with Sexual Partnership Concurrency in Tanzania

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Abstract

Social network influence on young people’s sexual behavior is understudied in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous research identified networks of mostly young men in Dar es Salaam who socialize in “camps”. This study describes network characteristics within camps and their relationship to young men’s concurrent sexual partnerships. We conducted surveys with a nearly complete census of ten camp networks (490 men and 160 women). Surveys included name generators to identify camp-based networks. Fifty seven percent of sexually active men (n = 471) reported past year concurrency, measured using the UNAIDS method. In a multivariable model, men’s individual concurrency was associated with being a member of a closer knit camp in which concurrency was the normative behavior. Younger men who had older members in their networks were more likely to engage in concurrency. Respondent concurrency was also associated with inequitable personal gender norms. Our findings suggest strategies for leveraging social networks for HIV prevention among young men.

Resumen

Influencia de las redes sociales en el comportamiento sexual de los jóvenes está poco estudiado en el África subsahariana. Investigaciones previas identificaron redes de hombres en Dar es Salaam, Tanzania que socializan en “campos”. Este estudio describe las características de las redes sociales de hombres jóvenes dentro de los campos y sus relaciónes con el comportamiento sexual de tener dos o más relaciones sexuales simultáneas. Hemos hecho encuestas con casi un censo completo de 10 redes de campos (490 hombres y 160 mujeres). Las encuestas incluyen generadores de nombre para identificar las redes en los campos. 57 % de los hombres que hicieron sexo (n = 471) tuvieron parejas simultáneas en el año pasado, medida por el método de UNAIDS. En el análisis multi-variado, tener parejas simultáneas se asoció con ser miembro de un campo en que tener parejas simultáneas fue el comportamiento normativo de los hombres. Los hombres más jóvenes que tenían miembros de más edad en sus redes tenían mayor probabilidad de estar en parejas simultáneas. Tener parejas simultáneas también se asoció con hombres que tenían normas de género desiguales. Nuestros resultados sugieren estrategias para aprovechar las redes sociales para la prevención del VIH entre los hombres jóvenes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by a 2010–2011 developmental grant from the Duke University Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), an NIH funded program (5P30 AI064518). The first author’s participation in the project was supported by a post-doctoral fellowship from Duke University’s Global Health Institute and a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01098690).

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Correspondence to Thespina J. Yamanis.

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Yamanis, T.J., Fisher, J.C., Moody, J.W. et al. Young Men’s Social Network Characteristics and Associations with Sexual Partnership Concurrency in Tanzania. AIDS Behav 20, 1244–1255 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1152-5

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