HIV Prevention and Sex Behaviors as Organizing Mechanisms in a Facebook Group Affiliation Network Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men.

ABSTRACT: Online social networking sites (SNS)-the Internet-based platforms that enable connection and communication between users-are increasingly salient social environments for young adults and, consequently, offer tremendous opportunity for HIV behavioral research and intervention among vulnerable populations like young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Drawing from a cohort of 525 young Black MSM (YBMSM) living in Chicago, IL, USA April 2014-May 2015, we conducted social network analysis, estimating an exponential random graph model (ERGM) to model YBMSM's group affiliations on Facebook in relation to their sex behaviors and HIV prevention traits. A group's privacy setting-public, closed, or secret-was also modeled as a potential moderator of that relationship. Findings reveal that HIV positive

SUBMITTER: Young LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6668991 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature