Characteristics of Individuals Seen as Sources of Social Support in Populations at Increased Risk for HIV

Access to social support from one's social network can serve as a protective factor against HIV infection; however, research exploring the availability of support in diverse populations that include high proportions of people at increased risk for HIV and the characteristics of network members associated with access to such support is limited. Multi-level dyadic analyses of social network data collected from women at risk for HIV and their network members reveal which individual and relationship characteristics of network members are associated with providing emotional, material, and/or health informational support. Results indicate that access to all three types of support was associated with a network member being a friend, a member of a participant's 'core' group, someone whose opinion matters to the respondent, and the respondent trusting them. These findings have implications for interventions designed to increase access to support among individuals at risk for HIV.

Automated summary

Access to social support is important for preventing HIV infection, but limited research has been done on the availability of support and the characteristics of network members in diverse populations at risk for HIV. Analyses of social network data collected from women at risk and their network members revealed that individuals who were friends, part of the participant's 'core' group, important to the participant, and trusted by the participant were more likely to provide emotional, material, and health informational support. These findings have implications for interventions aimed at increasing support for individuals at risk for HIV.