Comparison of Sexual Mixing Patterns for Syphilis in Endemic and Outbreak Settings

In a largely rural region of North Carolina during 1998–2002, outbreaks occurred of heterosexually-transmitted syphilis, tied to crack cocaine use and exchange of sex for drugs and money. Sexual partnership mixing patterns are an important characteristic of sexual networks that relate to transmission dynamics of STIs

Sexual Networks, Surveillance, and Geographical Space During Syphilis Outbreaks in Rural North Carolina

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) spread along sexual networks whose structural characteristics promote transmission that routine surveillance may not capture. Cases who have partners from multiple localities may operate as spatial network bridges, thereby facilitating geographical dissemination. We investigated the relationships between surveillance, sexual networks, and spatial bridges for syphilis outbreaks in rural counties of North Carolina

A Large Specific Deterrent Effect of Arrest for Patronizing a Prostitute

BACKGROUND: Prior research suggests that arrest, compared with no police detection, of some types of offenders does not decrease the chances they will reoffend. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We assessed the specific deterrent effect of arrest for patronizing a street prostitute in Colorado Springs by comparing the incidence of arrest for clients of prostitutes first detected through public health surveillance with the incidence of rearrest for clients first detected by police arrest. Although these sets of clients were demographically and behaviorally similar, arrest reduced the likelihood of a subsequent arrest by approximately 70%. In other areas of the United States, arrest did not appear to displace a client's patronizing. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that apprehending clients decreases their patronizing behavior substantially

Connections Injection Drug Users ’ Involvement In Drug Economy: Dynamics of Sociometric and Egocentric Social Networks

The purpose of this analysis was to examine the effect of social network cohesiveness on drug economy involvement, and to test whether this relationship is mediated by drug support network size among a sample of. Involvement in the drug economy was defined by self-report of participation in at least one of the following activities: selling drugs, holding drugs or money for drugs, providing street security for drug sellers, cutting/packaging/cooking drugs, selling or renting drug paraphernalia (e.g., pipes, tools, rigs), and injecting drugs in others ’ veins. The sample consists of 273 active injection drug users in Baltimore, Maryland who reported having injected drugs in the last 6 months and were recruited through either street outreach or by their network members. Egocentric drug support networks were assessed through a social network inventory at baseline. Sociometric networks were built upon the linkages by selected matching characteristics, and k-plex rank was used to characterize the level of cohesiveness of the individual to others in the social network. Although no direct effect was observed, structural equation modeling indicated k-plex rank was indirectly associated with drug economy involvement through drug support network size. These findings suggest the effects of large-scale sociometric networks on injectors ’ drug economy involvement may occur through their immediate egocentric networks. Future harm reduction programs for injection drug users (IDUs) should consider providing programs coupled with economic opportunities to those drug users within a cohesive network subgroup. Moreover

(A) Police-detected Clients.

<div><p>(B) Public Health-detected Clients Known to Have Patronized Locally.</p> <p>(C) Public Health-detected Clients Whose Patronizing Locality was Unknown.</p></div