Talking about AIDS
The influence of communication networks on individual risk perceptions of HIV/AIDS infection and favored protective behaviors in South Nyanza District, Kenya
- authored by
- Christoph Bühler, Hans Peter Kohler
- Abstract
This paper explores the significance of social relationships to two important stages in the process of sexual behavioral change in response to increased HIV/AIDS risk in rural Africa: the perceived risk of becoming HIV-infected through unprotected sexual intercourse and the preferred methods of protection either through sexual fidelity, or through condom use. The empirical analyses are based on cross-sectional data from the Kenya Diffusion and Ideational Change Project (KDICP) which provides information about AIDS-related, ego-centered communication networks of Kenyan men and women. The results show that perceived risks, as well as preferred methods of protection against HIV-infection, depend in general on the prevailing perceptions and favored protective methods within personal communication networks. However, different influential network properties can be found. The risk-perceptions of women are shaped by strong relationships and cohesive network structures. Male's risk perception depends more on the number of risk-perceivers in their communication networks. Heterogeneous relationships of various kinds are influential on women's and men's probability of favoring sexual faithfulness as a method of protection against HIV-infection.
- External Organisation(s)
-
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR)
University of Pennsylvania
- Type
- Article
- Journal
- Demographic Research
- Volume
- 9
- Pages
- 397-438
- No. of pages
- 42
- ISSN
- 1435-9871
- Publication date
- 19.09.2003
- Publication status
- Published
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Demography, Sociology and Political Science
- Research Area (based on ÖFOS 2012)
- Demography, Empirical social research, Development research
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
- Electronic version(s)
-
https://doi.org/10.4054/demres.2003.s1.13 (Access:
Open)
