Liljeros, F.Edling, C. R.Amaral, Luis A. NunesStanley, H. EugeneAberg, Y.2020-04-012020-04-012001-06-21F. Liljeros, C.R. Edling, L.A.N. Amaral, H.E. Stanley, Y. Aberg. 2001. "The web of human sexual contacts." NATURE, Volume 411, Issue 6840, pp. 907 - 908 (2). https://doi.org/10.1038/350821400028-0836https://hdl.handle.net/2144/39918Many "real-world" networks are clearly defined while most "social" networks are to some extent subjective. Indeed, the accuracy of empirically-determined social networks is a question of some concern because individuals may have distinct perceptions of what constitutes a social link. One unambiguous type of connection is sexual contact. Here we analyze data on the sexual behavior of a random sample of individuals, and find that the cumulative distributions of the number of sexual partners during the twelve months prior to the survey decays as a power law with similar exponents α≈2.4 for females and males. The scale-free nature of the web of human sexual contacts suggests that strategic interventions aimed at preventing the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases may be the most efficient approach.907 - 908 p.en-USScience & technologyMultidisciplinary sciencesSmall-world networksComplex networksAdultAgedFemaleHealth educationHumansInterviews as topicMaleMiddle agedSafe sexSexual behaviorSexual partnersSexually transmitted diseasesStatistical distributionsSurveys and questionnairesSwedenArticle10.1038/3508214094814