Abstract
In the USA, Latino men are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Characterizing the social context in which sexual behaviors occur, including substance use prior to sex and condomless sex, can inform prevention strategies. This paper presents an innovative analytic approach that blends multilevel latent class analysis (MLCA) with egocentric sexual network data to explore patterns of dyadic and personal characteristics of Latino men's sexual partners. From February 2022 to August 2023, social network data were collected from 488 pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-eligible Latino men (egos) who reported on 1065 sexual partners (alters) in Miami, Florida. MLCA identified subgroups of Latino men's sexual partners using partner and relationship characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine whether dyadic, ego, and network characteristics were associated with sexual partner typologies. A three-class, two-group solution was identified. Three distinct sexual partner typologies emerged: (1) main, emotionally close, HIV-negative seroconcordant partner; (2) casual partners with whom ego has selective or no condomless anal sex, and (3) low HIV/STI exposure, casual partners. Two upper-level groups emerged: (1) networks with mostly casual partners and (2) networks with a main sexual partner. Results from the multinomial logistic regression showed that PrEP use, country of nativity, sexual network size, and substance use were significantly associated with group and class membership. Our findings support the development of multilevel, dyadic interventions to increase engagement in HIV/STI protective behaviors and increase access to prevention services.