Network correlates of sexual health advice seeking and substance use among members of the Los Angeles House and Ball communities.
House and Ball communities (HBCs), represent a prime context for human immunodeficiency virus prevention with African American young men who have sex with men and transgender persons. This study sought to understand the composition and function of social support and sexual networks of HBC members in Los Angeles, California (N = 263). Participants were recruited using venue-based sampling and asked to report on sexual health advice seeking, alcohol use and illicit substance use. Participants were more likely to seek sexual health advice from social support network members compared with sexual network members [odds ratio (OR): 2.50, P < 0.001]. HBC members were more likely to get drunk (OR: 1.57; P < 0.05) and use illicit substances (OR: 1.87; P < 0.10) with House members and sexual network members compared with non-House members and social support network members. Health promotion programs tailored for the HBC should encourage open communication regarding sexual health; these interventions must include information about the role of substance use in sexual risk taking.
Department of Social Welfare, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA, Community, Health Outcomes, & Intervention Research Program, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA and Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
Ian W
IW
Holloway
Sheree M
SM
Schrager
Carolyn F
CF
Wong
Shannon L
SL
Dunlap
Michele D
MD
Kipke
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D060728:Reproductive Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult