This study seeks to help explain the enormous variability in the spread of HIV in sub­Saharan Africa. Variation in sexual networking patterns is one likely explanation. This research will compare the sexual networking patterns of two groups of economically vulnerable, migrant women in Senegal, and seek contextual factors that explain different levels of sexual networking. Two contextual factors are hypothesized to play a role in shaping sexual behavior: The social networks in which women are embedded and the religious contexts in which they live. Social and sexual network data as well as demographic data will be collected and analyzed. It is hoped that by identifying protective contextual factors that prevent women from dangerous sexual behavior, this research can inform interventions for many women in sub-Saharan Africa.