title: Social place as a location of potential core transmitters-implications for the targeted control of sexually transmitted disease transmission in urban areas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Places are an important determinant of risk for sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition and transmission. We sought to identify social places that are critical for targeted STI control activities. The objective of this study was to determine whether sex partner meeting places characterized by drug markets, sex markets, and separately, drug and/or sex markets were more likely to have potential core transmitters as compared with other sex partner meeting places in one urban setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2008-2009, heterosexual sex partner places or venues were identified in Baltimore, MD using a venue-based study approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1334 participants aged 18 to 35 years were enrolled at 85 venues. In those participants, 39 potential core transmitters were identified and 31% of venues had at least one potential core transmitter. In final age-adjusted and gender-adjusted models, core transmitters were significantly more likely to be identified at drug markets (OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.23-1.53), sex markets (OR = 1.27; 95% CI = 1.14-1.41), and drug and/or sex markets (OR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.32-1.68).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified key characteristics of venues, such as drug and sex market activity, that may be important in identifying places for the targeted control of STI transmission.
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Community Health Research, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Electronic address: jjennin1@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Jacky M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Community Health Research, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polk
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; Children's Defense Fund, Washington, D.C., DC.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fichtenberg
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Community Health Research, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Shang-en
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Community Health Research, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ellen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015142:Baltimore; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D012931:Social Environment; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epidemiology; Heterosexuality; Sexually transmitted disease; Social environment