Sexual network
Encyclopedia
A sexual network is a social network
that is defined by the sexual relationships within a set of individuals.
and network theory
.
Recent epidemiological
studies have investigated sexual networks, and suggest that the statistical properties of sexual networks are crucial to the spread of sexually transmitted disease
s (STDs). Sub-graphs, both large and small, can be defined within the overall sexual network graph; for example, people who frequent particular bars or clubs, belong to a particular ethnic group or take part in a particular type of sexual activity, or are part of a particular outbreak of an STD. In particular, assortative mixing
between people with large numbers of sexual partners seems to be an important factor in the spread of STD.
In a surprising result, mathematical models predict that the sexual network graph for the human race appears to have a single giant component
that indirectly links almost all people who have had more than one sexual partner, and a great many of those who have had only one sexual partner (if their one sexual partner was themselves part of the giant component). Most people who are not part of the giant component are either virgins
, or couples who have never had sex with anyone except each other.
For more detailed epidemiological work, the time sequence of sexual contacts is important.
Morris, Martina; Zavisca, Jane; Dean, Laura
AIDS Education and Prevention, Vol 7(Suppl), 1995, 24-35.
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
that is defined by the sexual relationships within a set of individuals.
Studies and discoveries
Like other forms of social networks, sexual networks can be formally studied using the mathematics of graph theoryGraph theory
In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs, mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects from a certain collection. A "graph" in this context refers to a collection of vertices or 'nodes' and a collection of edges that connect pairs of...
and network theory
Network theory
Network theory is an area of computer science and network science and part of graph theory. It has application in many disciplines including statistical physics, particle physics, computer science, biology, economics, operations research, and sociology...
.
Recent epidemiological
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
studies have investigated sexual networks, and suggest that the statistical properties of sexual networks are crucial to the spread of sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s (STDs). Sub-graphs, both large and small, can be defined within the overall sexual network graph; for example, people who frequent particular bars or clubs, belong to a particular ethnic group or take part in a particular type of sexual activity, or are part of a particular outbreak of an STD. In particular, assortative mixing
Assortative mixing
In the study of complex networks, assortative mixing, or assortativity, is a bias in favor of connections between network nodes with similar characteristics. In the specific case of social networks, assortative mixing is also known as homophily...
between people with large numbers of sexual partners seems to be an important factor in the spread of STD.
In a surprising result, mathematical models predict that the sexual network graph for the human race appears to have a single giant component
Giant component
In network theory, a giant component is a connected component of a given random graph that contains a constant fraction of the entire graph's vertices....
that indirectly links almost all people who have had more than one sexual partner, and a great many of those who have had only one sexual partner (if their one sexual partner was themselves part of the giant component). Most people who are not part of the giant component are either virgins
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
, or couples who have never had sex with anyone except each other.
For more detailed epidemiological work, the time sequence of sexual contacts is important.
See also
- Small world experimentSmall world experimentThe small world experiment comprised several experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram and other researchers examining the average path length for social networks of people in the United States. The research was groundbreaking in that it suggested that human society is a small world type network...
- Social networkSocial networkA social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
- Transmission risks and ratesTransmission risks and ratesTransmission of an infection requires three conditions:*an infectious individual*a susceptible individual*an effective contact between themAn effective contact is defined as any kind of contact between two individuals such that, if one individual is infectious and the other susceptible, then the...
- Contact tracingContact tracingIn epidemiology, contact tracing is the identification and diagnosis of persons who may have come into contact with an infected person. For sexually transmitted diseases, this is generally limited to sexual partners but for highly virulent diseases such as Ebola and tuberculosis, a thorough contact...
- BugchasingBugchasingBugchasing is a slang term for the alleged practice of pursuing sexual intercourse with HIV infected individuals in order to contract HIV. Individuals engaged in this activity are referred to as bugchasers...
Further reading
- M Kretzschmar. "Sexual network structure and sexually transmitted disease prevention: a modeling perspective". Sexually Transmitted Diseases volume 27, number 10 (November 2000): pages 627– 35.
- P. De et al. Sexual network analysis of a gonorrhea outbreak Sex Transm Infect 2004;80:280-285
- P S Bearman, J Moody, K Stovel "Chains of affection: The structure of adolescent romantic and sexual networks,” American Journal of Sociology , Vol. 110, No. 1, 2004.
- L E C Rocha, F Liljeros and P Holme Information dynamics shape the sexual networks of Internet-mediated prostitution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences free online (March 2010).
- Apostolopoulos, Y., Sönmez, S., Shattell, M., Kronenfeld, J., Smith, D., & Stanton, S. (2011). Cruising for Truckers on Highways and the Internet: Sexual Networks and Infection Risk. AIDS Education & Prevention, 23(3), 249-266. doi:10.1521/aeap.2011.23.3.249
- O'Connor, M. L. (1999). Sexual Network Patterns Contribute to Racial Disparities in Disease Risk. Family Planning Perspectives, 31(6), 309. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
- Choudhury, B., Risley, C., Ghani, A., Bishop, C., Ward, H., Fenton, K., & ... Spratt, B. (n.d). Identification of individuals with gonorrhoea within sexual networks: a population-based study. Lancet. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69003-X
- Bearman, P. S., Moody, J., & Stovel, K. (2004). Chains of Affection: The Structure of Adolescent Romantic and Sexual Networks[1]. American Journal of Sociology, 110(1), 44-91. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
- Day, S. S., & Ward, H. H. (1998). Sexual networks: The integration of social and genetic data. Social Science & Medicine, 47(12), 1981. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
- Nyanzi, S., Nyanzi, B., Kalina, B., & Pool, R. (n.d). Mobility, sexual networks and exchange among bodabodamen in southwest Uganda. Taylor & Francis Ltd. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
- Social and sexual networks: Their role in the spread of HIV/AIDS among young gay men.
Morris, Martina; Zavisca, Jane; Dean, Laura
AIDS Education and Prevention, Vol 7(Suppl), 1995, 24-35.