In the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, a study noted the structure of the sexual networks of urban black adolescents in an area with moderate endemic rates of sexually transmitted diseases. But since I can's speak science, here's the better version.
In the Bayview-Hunter’s Point neighborhood of San Francisco, random-digit calling was used to recruit a household sample of African-American adolescents. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants’ recent partners and the partners of partners. Testing for current gonorrhea or chlamydia infection was conducted using biologic samples. Social network analysis methods were used to describe the resulting social networks’ characteristics.
The results indicated that 166 sexually active participants were connected to 388 network members in 159 separate network components. A relatively high prevalence of bacterial STDs was found (13%); however, components were small (3.5 people on average, and half involving only two people), linear, and acyclic. Compared to males, females were less central in their networks by local measures but were just as central when overall structure was taken into account. “Our results confirm, in a new setting, previous observations that sexual network structures necessary for endemic transmission of gonorrhea and chlamydia are sparsely connected,” the study authors concluded.
1 comment:
It's an interesting study. I have younger cousins, who are always on the phone, AIM, etc; which I had when I was in High School but it wasn't such an ingrained part of my teenage years. I wonder what their circle is like and what they talk about.
I know my aunt when crazy when her daughter said she kissed a boy. (I secretly flipped too, worrying where she might go next. I'm such a mom.)
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