Sexual network refers to the people with whom an individual has had sexual contact, and it is an essential part of understanding how sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be transmitted within a community.

An individual’s sexual network includes their sexual partners, their partner’s partners, and so on. This article will help you calculate your sexual network by offering information on how STDs are transmitted and tips on how to estimate the number of people within your network.

What is a sexual network?

Sexual network refers to the people with whom an individual has had sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual contact, including oral or anal sex. Understanding your sexual network is crucial to protect yourself and others from STDs.

Your network does not only include the people you had sexual contact with, but also the people your partners have had sexual contact with. This is important because the more partners within your sexual network, the higher the probability of coming into contact with an STD.

How STDs spread within a sexual network

STDs can spread through the sexual network in various ways, including unprotected sex, skin-to-skin contact, and contact with bodily fluids.

For instance, if individual A in the network has sex with individual B, who has an STD, they can contract the disease. When individual A then has sex with individual C, they could transmit the same STD to individual C, and so on. The same mechanism repeats when individual C has sex with a partner outside of the group.

This cycle demonstrates how STDs spread within a sexual network, contributing to the spread of STDs at higher rates than random sexual encounters.

When there are more partners within a network, it increases the chances of coming into contact with an STD. These risks enhance even more if individuals within a network do not practice safe sexual habits, such as using barriers like condoms, dental dams, and gloves.

Estimating your sexual network

The first step in estimating your sexual network is acknowledging all your sexual partners and their sexual history. Ask them vital questions like the number of sexual partners they had, whether they tested for STD and the results.

Furthermore, it would be beneficial to discuss instances of unprotected sex or potential exposure to STDs.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests using the mnemonic “PRO$IT” to help individuals remember the critical information to ask about sexual history.

Partner – how many sexual partners the individual has
Risks – The types of Sexual Risks the individuals has taken
Outside Sex Partners- If external partners are included in the sexual network
STD history – Any history of STD diagnosis or treatment
Infection transmission – The likelihood of transmitting infections
Testing – The testing history of individual.

Additionally, social media and dating apps can also aid in mapping out someone’s sexual network. Individuals can utilise these platforms to see which of their connections may have had sexual contact with each other.

However, they must note some people on these platforms may not be honest about their sexual history or engage in sexual activity outside the platform.

Understanding your risk

After collecting information from previous or current sexual partners, you can estimate the number of connections within your sexual network using probability calculations.

These results would estimate the possible risk of contracting STD within your network. This step can be complex and requires knowledge of network epidemiology, but we will provide a straightforward example. Consider the following example:.

A study from the Los Alamos National Laboratory developed a statistical model of a sexual network to better understand how STDs spread. Here is an example based on this model:.

You’ve had five sexual partners in your lifetime
Each of your partners had five sexual partners
Each of your partners’ partners had an average of five sexual partners

In this example, you could estimate your sexual network using this formula:.

Total number of sexual partners = 1 + (5×5) + (5x5x5) = 156.

Therefore, your estimated network size would be 156 sexual partners.

In this example, the possibility of coming into contact with an STD is higher due to the number of connections, but the use of proper barriers and safe sex practices could minimise the risk.

Conclusion

Understanding your sexual network and the potential risks associated with it can help you protect yourself and others from STDs.

By obtaining necessary medical testing and honest communication with sexual partners, you can estimate the number of connections within your network. By utilising proper barriers and safe sex practices, individuals can reduce the probability of contracting or transmitting STDs within their network.