Understanding HIV Risk Behaviors Among Young Men in South Africa: A Syndemic Approach.

Young men in South Africa experience several adverse socio-structural and psychosocial factors that may contribute HIV risk behaviors. This study applied a syndemic framework to explore whether these syndemic factors are interconnected and work in synergy to increase HIV risk behaviors. Five syndemic factors were assessed including: binge drinking, polydrug use, depressive symptoms, violence and food insecurity on two HIV risk behaviors: multiple sex partners and transactional sex.