Genetic network analysis to assess the risk of HIV transmission among MSM seeking partners on the Internet

BACKGROUND: Online partner seeking (OPS) among men who have sex with men (MSM) is associated with increased risk behavior including frequency of unprotected anal intercourse, number of partners, and incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, the impact on transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is uncertain. METHODS: MSM diagnosed with acute and early HIV infection were recruited from the Primary Infection Resource Consortium. HIV transmission events in the year following infection were inferred using estimated date of infection combined with genetic network analysis with linked sequences defined as