Heterogeneous sexual mixing in populations with arbitrarily connected multiple groups.

"A simple procedure for constructing [social/sexual] mixing models for arbitrarily classified (e.g. by sex, age, geographical location, sexual preference) populations is outlined, including a scheme for finding the number of independent mixing parameters required, and a simple (linear algebra) means for finding the values of the dependent mixing parameters. Various worked examples are presented, including the two-sex problem and structured and selective mixing." The use of the models for analyzing mixing structures for AIDS transmission is assessed. (SUMMARY IN FRE)