Social, sexual, and drug networks among drug using male sex workers in Houston, Texas

A very limited number of studies have been conducted to investigate the influences of social networks among MSM. The present study was conducted to: 1) utilize the structure of social networks of drug using MSWs to examine HIV transmission among drug using MSWs in Houston, Texas; 2) examine the associations between social network variables and sex trading for money/drugs; 3) compare social network structures between African American and White drug using male sex workers. The study used cross-sectional data collected among 395 drugs using MSWs from 2003-2005 in Houston, Texas. The analysis found that 42% of the participants were connected in a large component. In this component, a node with a highest degree played an important role in transmitting and speeding up HIV transmission through multiple number of sex/drug relationship with other network members. People who traded sex for money or drugs were less nominated by other people and less likely to be a gate-keeper in the network than people who did not trade sex for money or drugs. The study found a higher prevalence of HIV among African Americans than White and racial homogeneity of risk behaviors. Our findings suggest that future HIV intervention take into account network factors