Network Characteristics of Social Support Sources for People Living with HIV Under Community Follow-Up: A Social Network Analysis in Luzhou, China.

For people living with HIV (PLWH), the configuration of social support networks may shape access to support, yet the structural position of support sources remains poorly understood. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 446 PLWH receiving community follow-up in Luzhou, China, from March to May 2023. A two-mode network (participants × 10 support-source categories) was analyzed in UCINET to describe support-source degree and core-periphery structure. Community Health Service Centers, hospitals, and family members occupied core positions. Overall support scores differed by gender (female vs male: t = -2.66, p = .008), age (≥ 50 vs <50 years: t = -6.79, p < .001), and transmission route (heterosexual vs homosexual: t = 6.25, p < .001). Overall, 52.47% of participants were classified as core actors. The proportion was 46.88% in the combined homosexual-transmission and other-routes group and 44.53% among young/middle-aged men. These findings describe how support sources are positioned within the community follow-up setting and may inform efforts to connect PLWH with fewer core-source ties to available services.