Social Network of a Highly Active HIV/STD Core Group

描述（由申请人提供）：这里提出的研究将集中在美国社会面临的两个至关重要的问题，非法药物滥用的不良个人和社会后果以及人类病原体的引入，重新引入和传播。这项名为《一个高度活跃的艾滋病/性病核心群体的社会网络特征》的研究，是基于我们对德克萨斯州休斯敦男妓及其性伴和吸毒者的特征、吸毒和艾滋病风险行为的研究。由于大量滥用药物、危险性活动和未经诊断或治疗的艾滋病毒/性传播疾病，男妓似乎在定期将性传播疾病重新引入性活跃网络方面发挥着重要作用。我们的研究还表明，男妓频繁而广泛地旅行，这表明这些男性可能成为疾病重新传入低流行率、地理上不同的人群的“媒介”。从本质上讲，男妓可以在传播病原体所需的流行病学相关联系方面在社会和/或地理上孤立的人群之间提供桥梁。本研究的主要目的是检查男妓的药物滥用，他们的药物使用特性，性和社会网络，以及这些与以前未受影响的人群中疾病的出现和再出现的关联程度。其次，这项研究的目的是制定一项协议，用于研究涉及药物滥用的其他群体的疾病传入和再传入。我们建议通过研究吸毒男妓核心网络的特征和变化来实现这些目标。本研究的设计是纵向网络分析。我们将收集参与者的社会人口统计、药物使用、性行为和个人网络联系数据，我们认为这些参与者可能嵌入到更大的网络中，总数可能高达15,000人。我们将首先对25名重点男妓的网络及其社会、吸毒和性联系以及次级网络的吸毒、性和社会联系进行抽样调查。尽管迄今为止的研究都强调个人网络，即大型社会网络的“构建块”，但我们的研究还将收集个人网络与大型社会网络相互连接形成的结构模式的数据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The research proposed here will focus on two critically important problems facing American society, the adverse personal and societal consequences of illicit drug abuse and the introduction, reintroduction, and spread of human pathogens. The study, Social Network Characteristics of a Highly Active HIV/STD Core Group, builds on our work on the characteristics, drug use, and HIV risk behaviors of male prostitutes and their sexual and drug using partners in Houston, Texas. Because of high levels of drug abuse, risky sexual activity and undiagnosed or untreated HIV/STDs, male prostitutes appear to play a significant role in periodically reintroducing sexually transmitted diseases into sexually active networks. Our research also indicates that male prostitutes travel frequently and widely, suggesting that these men may serve as 'vectors' for disease reintroduction into low prevalence, geographically disparate populations. In essence, male prostitutes may provide bridges between populations that otherwise are socially and/or geographically isolated in terms of the epidemiologically relevant links required to transmit pathogens. The principal aims of this study are to examine drug abuse in male prostitutes, properties of their drug use, sexual, and social networks, and the extent to which these are associated with the emergence and re- emergence of disease in previously unaffected populations. Secondly, the study aims to develop a protocol that will be used to study disease introduction and reintroduction in other groups involved in drug abuse. We propose to accomplish these aims by examining the characteristics of and change within a core network of drug using male prostitutes. The design of the study is a longitudinal network analysis. We will collect sociodemographic, drug use, sexual behavior, and personal network linkage data on participants who we believe may be embedded in larger networks, perhaps as high as 15,000 persons overall. We will initially sample the networks of 25 focal male prostitutes and their social, drug use, and sexual links and the drug use, sexual, and social links of the secondary networks. Whereas research to date has stressed personal networks, the 'building blocks' of larger social networks, our study will also collect data on structural patterns formed by the interconnection of personal networks into large social networks.