Network Interconnectivity and Community Detection in HIV/Syphilis Contact Networks Among Men Who Have Sex With Men.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite persistent HIV and syphilis epidemics among men who have sex with men (MSM), the relationship between HIV and syphilis contact networks has not been well characterized. We aimed to measure interconnectivity between HIV and syphilis contact networks among MSM and identify network communities with heightened interconnectivity of the syphilis network with the HIV network.

Methods

Using contact-tracing data, we generated independent and combined HIV and syphilis networks for all MSM diagnosed with HIV or early syphilis, respectively, in North Carolina between 2015 and 2017. We treated the independent networks as layers and identified network communities, or groups of densely connected nodes, in the 2-layer network. We assessed interconnectivity by comparing th

SUBMITTER: Billock RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7554179 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature