Migration to Urban Slums, Sexual Networks, and HIV in Ghana

The objective of this proposed work is to investigate the relationship between migration and HIV transmission. The hypothesis is that migration may be a significant determinant in HIV transmission because of the changes in timing and sequence of partnerships associated with migration and migrant behavior (empirically shown to exhibit risky sexual behavior). Thus migration may promote partnership concurrency that links individuals together to create large connected "components" in a network; such connected components allow a pathogen to travel rapidly and efficiently. Additionally, the longer the concurrent partnerships, the more time the pathogen has to spread throughout the population.

This hypothesis is being tested in Accra, Ghana with sexual network survey data (a retrospective relationship history calendar paired with migration and travel events), and will be used to drive a mathematical model of HIV transmission dynamics that can project the population level impacts of migration and sexual risk behavior. Funding is provides by a NIH K99/R00 career development award.