BACKGROUND:Social network methods have improved our understanding of sexually transmitted disease transmission dynamics, and may be of use in routine field operations for partner notification. GOAL:To augment traditional syphilis-control activities with social network methods in an Atlanta area with high syphilis morbidity. STUDY DESIGN:Disease investigators conducted interviews, used network diagrams to prioritize their work, and relied on network connections for finding hard-to-reach persons. RESULTS:A total of 396 contacts were elicited from 48 infected and 50 uninfected persons. The cumulative prevalence of syphilis was 12.6%, and 24 persons infected with HIV were identified. Network methods disclosed a large, interconnected group (276 persons) characterized by high network centrality and the substantial presence of small, interactive subgroups (microstructures). CONCLUSION:The network approach is a feasible field technique, and can identify core groups involved in the intense transmission of syphilis. The targeted, network-based approach may be useful in attempts to eliminate syphilis.

A series of televised public service announcements (PSAs) about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was evaluated with 100 black participants attending a Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. Since the literacy level of the participants was suspected to be low, questions were administered orally and an electronic data collection technique was used which permitted the participants to push buttons, as opposed to speaking or writing responses. In this way, data were collected regarding. (i) the participants' demographics; (ii) their self-perceived AIDS knowledge and awareness; and (iii) their second-by-second continuous responses to the video presentation. Participants who perceived themselves to be at high risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection gave more positive continuous responses to the PSA sequence than did self-perceived low-risk participants. Men gave more approving responses than women. The results were considered in relation to previous findings concerning the interacting effects of PSA design and perceived risk. Debriefing sessions indicated that the automated approach to data collection is particularly useful in formative evaluation studies requiring rapid data collection from audiences drawn from diverse educational backgrounds.