A Sexual Affiliation Network of Men Who Have Sex With Men Practicing Risk Sexual Behaviors and Chemsex: A Two-Mode Approach.
Pilar Marqués-Sánchez, David Bermejo-Martínez, Enedina Quiroga-Sánchez and 3 others
PMID 41439518WHAT IT FOUND
In 32 Madrid men who have sex with men using dating apps, all formed a single connected network, with Grindr linking everyone.
Men reporting chemsex, poppers, group sex, or alcohol occupied more central positions.
Key findings
01The network contained 32 men and five apps; all men used at least one app, Grindr was named by every man, and all nodes were interconnected.
02The network had a core-periphery structure, with a core of 20 men and four apps; Grindr and Wapo were core apps.
03Men who reported chemsex, alcohol use, group sex, or poppers use showed higher centrality on at least one network measure.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience sample of 32 men in Madrid, not a complete network, so it may not represent other populations. Data were self-reported and about sensitive behaviours, so recall bias and social desirability bias are possible. The study was cross-sectional and descriptive, so it cannot show that app use, chemsex, or other behaviours cause higher centrality or STI risk. No intervention was tested and no STI transmission outcome was measured.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration appears in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that app-based outreach or nurse education reduces STI risk. It mapped 32 men in Madrid and did not test an intervention or measure STI transmission.