Patterns of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection in sexual networks in Manitoba, Canada

Background: The use of sexual network analysis has the potential to further our understanding of sexually trammitted disease (STD) epidemics and contr ibute to the development of more effective targeted control strategies, Goal: To use sexual network analysis to study transmission patterns of chla mydia and gonorrhea in Manitoba, Canada. Study Design: Routinely collected case/contact information gathered by publ ic health nurses was used to construct the sexual network, Results: Components within the sexual network ranged in size from 2 to 82 p eople. Two types of components, designated radial and linear, were describe d. Large linear components resembled the theoretical structure of STD core groups. Geographic analysis of the largest components demonstrated the pote ntial for STD transmission between isolated rural communities and within di fferent areas of an urban center. Conclusions: The application of sexual network analysis on a provincial bas is demonstrated the importance of a centralized, coordinated approach to ST D control. The analysis highlights the need for a greater understanding of the causative factors promoting the formation of different component types, the homogeneity and heterogeneity of behaviors within and between componen ts, and the temporal stability of these patterns.