TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bühler, Christoph
A1  - Kohler, Hans-Peter
T1  - 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
Y1  - 2003/09/19
JF  - Demographic Research
JO  - Demographic Research
SN  - 1435-9871
SP  - 397
EP  - 438
DO  - 10.4054/DemRes.2003.S1.13
VL  - S1
IS  - 0
UR  - https://www.demographic-research.org/special/1/0/
L1  - https://www.demographic-research.org/special/1/0/s1-0.pdf
L2  - https://www.demographic-research.org/special/1/0/s1-0.pdf
N2  - 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 'Kenyan 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.

ER  -