title: It is complicated: sexual partner characteristic profiles and sexually transmitted infection rates within a predominantly African American population in Mississippi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mississippi has among the highest prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States. Understanding sexual networks can provide insight into risk factors for transmission and guide prevention interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 1437 primarily African American (95%) adults presenting for care at an STI clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. Latent class analysis identified underlying population subgroups with unique patterns of response on a comprehensive set of 14 sexual partner variables, such as living with or having a child with a partner, partner dependence and trust, 1-time sexual encounters, multiple main partners, substance use, sexual concurrency, and incarceration. Classes were compared on participant age, sex, sexual orientation, public assistance, lifetime partners, relationship status, and self-reported past-year STI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three classes emerged. Class 1 (n = 746) participants were less dependent on partners and less likely to live with or have a child with a partner. Class 2 participants (n = 427) endorsed multiple STI risk factors, including partner incarceration, 6 or more lifetime partners, sexual concurrency, 1-time sexual encounters, and substance use at last sex. Class 3 participants (n = 226) were more likely to be in dependent, committed relationships with children. Class 2 had a higher proportion of self-report past-year STIs (36.7%) compared with classes 1 (26.6%) and 3 (26.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Certain partner factors such as incarceration, substance use, and concurrency may contribute to increased STI risk. Partner factors may be useful proxies for STI risks and could be useful questions to include in screening questionnaires in clinical settings.
authors: From the *Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT; †Division of Infectious Diseases, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI; ‡Program on Global Health and Human Rights, Institute for Global Health, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; §Jackson State University, Jackson, MS; and ¶Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
authors: Jalen
authors: J
authors: Alexander
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Rose
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Dierker
authors: Philip A
authors: PA
authors: Chan
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: MacCarthy
authors: Dantrell
authors: D
authors: Simmons
authors: Leandro
authors: L
authors: Mena
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Nunn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data