This amended application proposes a study that will apply a social influence strategy to STD/HIV risk reduction in personal networks of STD clinic patients. The goals of the proposed study are (1) to examine the social context of STD/HIV risk through the assessment of relationships among risk behaviors, STD prevalence and incidence, and social and personal network characteristics and (2) to test a preventive intervention for HIV risk reduction among inner city young adults. The proposed project seeks three years of support to implement and evaluate a social and personal network experimental HIV preventive intervention for STD clinic patients with gonorrhea and to map and analyze STD cases within social networks. The 300 intervention participants will be randomly assigned to two conditions: an individual or a network intervention group. Those in the network conditions will bring the clinic members of their personal network for a six-session cognitive-behavioral intervention. A three-month and a six-month follow-up assessment will be conducted. Individuals assigned to the network condition and their sex partners also will be administered a network interview to map possible STD transmission through a social network. Genetic strain analysis of gonorrhea will be used to examine possible disease transmission within the social network.
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