Application Study On Estimating Size Of Commercial Sex Workers And Social Network Analysis

Background: AIDS epidemics and infection is on the rise in China, the bridge population bonds the normal population to the high-risks, block the transmission in bridge population is becoming the priority in AIDS epidemic control and prevention. Estimating the size of commercial sex workers has became the core content of AIDS epidemic estimation and trend prediction, and it is also an important reference in establishing strategies in AIDS epidemic control and prevention and in resource distribution. Using an appropriate rapid assessment method is significant to AIDS epidemic control and prevention and also to some relevant AIDS researches. AIDS transmits in a certain population which has a close contact with the disease, and it has a correlation with social network and its characteristics. Social network theory has caught the researchers'attention and it has already been put into AIDS epidemic control and prevention.Objective: The study analysis the social network characteristics of sex workers based on knowing the sex workers'scale using rapid assessment techniques. Through social intervention theory and social network analysis, to find an efficient way to intervene in AIDS transmission among sex workers and put forward a new perspective and a way for AIDS prevention among target population.Method:Through literature review and learning the current AIDS epidemic trend, to investigate monitoring system and assessment methods of AIDS, especially the development of ways to assess the sex workers'population. The study also focuses on relevant theories and its application in AIDS prevention and intervention. The study chose one city in Anhui Province as the target investigation area. Using qualitative investigation strategies to research the background of target population and do the depth interview with them; through "unstructured non-participant observation" approach to collect relevant information to know the social network of the sex workers and the knowledge of the key insiders. Assess the scale of sex workers in target area through key insiders'strategy. Do the quantitative analysis on sex workers'social network using social network software UCINET6.2 and social network tables in two chosen target area of different scales.Results: It is a new attempt to assess the population of sex workers through key insiders'strategies. The key technique is to collect key insiders, interview with key insiders and distribution network of key insiders. Key-insiders conclude health supervision stations and CDC, bosses of entertainment places, taxi drives and sex workers'head, different key insiders'information has different effects in collecting information. Lodging and haircut industry take 77.78% of the target area entertainment industry, and sex workers are mainly exist in cultural entertainment places and public bathrooms (72.84%). It is estimated that there are 472 first places (lodging, cultural entertainment industry public bathrooms and haircut rooms), and 1430 sex workers work in them. 254 second places (street-side rooms and leisure rooms) and 3296 sex workers work in them. It is estimated that the sex workers take 0.23% of the whole population, and take 0.63% of the female population whose age are above 15. Analysis of the sample area by social network shows that boundary of high-end entertainment places is clear and the heads take a very important role in social network, these key insiders will be the key points in AIDS epidemic control and prevention. The sex network of low income sex workers is large dispersal type without clear boundary and key points, the general community prevention strategies are reliable. It shows by the social network quantity analysis that the core insiders will become essential during and after the intervention. The reach-ability of social network works in both places, and its depth will become the index to assess the difficulty of partner teach, however, there are some exceptions show that different detail strategies will be put forward in different places. Index Geodesic Distance's result is between 1 and 1.5, which illustrates that it would decline in information distribution, which points out we should not only focus on information distribution during intervention. The clot relations are the majority in medium and small entertainment places by transitivity analysis, it is easier to control AIDS epidemic in larger entertainment places, and the percentage of structure relation is high which indicate the barriers in distribution. In clustering coefficient analysis, it shows that whole and part clustering index indicate the relation between sex workers, assess the efficient and speed of information distribution, and the intervention should focus on the high efficient ones. The reciprocity statistics shows that the reciprocity indexes in two different places are 0.4802 and 0.5455 respectively, which indicates the incidence in formulating solid relations between sex workers. P1 model can predict the trend of the development relationship structure, and it will provide the way of information distribution. Social network analysis in sex workers provides a new method in AIDS epidemic control and prevention.Conclusion: Social network theory will enrich the literature background of AIDS epidemic control and prevention, and the relevant researchers are gradually pay attention to it. Using key insider'strategies is a simple way to assess the scale of the sex workers'population, it is also very liable and representative. The characters of sex workers'social network provide a new method to develop a new way for AIDS epidemic control, the techniques of social network analysis provide a new guidance for AIDS epidemic among sex workers.