Morris M, Zavisca J, Dean L
Department of Sociology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
AIDS Educ Prev. 1995;7(5 Suppl):24-35.
This article examines how networks of social and sexual relations affect risky sexual behavior and HIV seroprevalence among young gay men. Social networks can transmit information and cultural norms regarding safer sex, while networks of sexual partners channel the risk of exposure to HIV infection. These two network effects may help to explain some of the behavior and seroconversion differentials in the gay community. A number of recent studies have shown higher rates of unsafe sex among younger gay men. In the Longitudinal AIDS Impact Project, for example, younger gay men (18-24) report unsafe receptive anal sex at rates double that for any other age group (30% vs. 14-16%). One possible explanation is that younger men have watched fewer friends and colleagues contract HIV or AIDS, and are correspondingly less cautious. We test this hypothesis by comparing the personal networks of younger and older gay men to see whether those who practice safer sex have more exposure to persons with HIV or AIDS. The results give only weak support for the hypothesis that personal exposure to the effects of HIV and AIDS increases adherence to safer sex practices. Seroprevalence patterns among young men may be the result of their sexual networks, with those choosing older partners more likely to be exposed to HIV infection. We examine this hypothesis by comparing the age composition of the unsafe sexual partner network for seropositive and seronegative young men. The results strongly support the hypothesis that younger gay men with older partners are the leading edge of the epidemic in their cohort.
本文探讨社会关系网络和性关系网络如何影响年轻男同性恋者的危险性行为及艾滋病毒血清阳性率。社会网络可以传播有关安全性行为的信息和文化规范，而性伴侣网络则会传导感染艾滋病毒的风险。这两种网络效应或许有助于解释男同性恋群体中的一些行为差异和血清转化差异。近期的一些研究表明，年轻男同性恋者中不安全性行为的发生率更高。例如，在“艾滋病纵向影响项目”中，年轻男同性恋者（18至24岁）报告的不安全接受肛交发生率是其他任何年龄组的两倍（30% 对14 - 16%）。一种可能的解释是，年轻男性目睹朋友和同事感染艾滋病毒或患艾滋病的情况较少，相应地也就不那么谨慎。我们通过比较年轻和年长男同性恋者的个人社交网络来检验这一假设，看看那些采取更安全性行为的人是否更多地接触过艾滋病毒感染者或艾滋病患者。结果对“个人接触艾滋病毒和艾滋病的影响会增加对更安全性行为的坚持”这一假设的支持力度很弱。年轻男性中的血清阳性率模式可能是其性网络的结果，那些选择年长伴侣的人更有可能感染艾滋病毒。我们通过比较血清阳性和血清阴性年轻男性不安全的性伴侣网络的年龄构成来检验这一假设。结果有力地支持了“与年长伴侣交往的年轻男同性恋者是其同龄人中艾滋病流行的前沿群体”这一假设。
