This study describes the social networks of secondary school students in Moshi Municipality, and their association with self-rated
risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 300 students aged
15–24 years in 5 secondary schools in Moshi, Tanzania. Bonding networks were defined as social groupings of students
participating in activities within the school, while bridging networks were groups that included students participating in social
groupings from outside of the school environs. A structured questionnaire was used to ask about participation in bonding and
bridging social networks and self-rated HIV risk behavior. More participants participated in bonding networks (72%) than in
bridging networks (29%). Participation in bridging networks was greater among females (25%) than males (12%, p , .005). Of
300 participants, 88 (29%) were sexually experienced, and of these 62 (70%) considered themselves to be at low risk of HIV
infection. Factors associated with self-rated risk of HIV included: type of school (p , .003), family structure (p , .008), being
sexually experienced (p , .004), having had sex in the past three months (p , .009), having an extra sexual partner (p , .054)
and non-condom use in last sexual intercourse (p , .001), but not the presence or type of social capital. The study found no
association between bonding and bridging social networks on self-rated risk of HIV among study participants. However,
sexually experienced participants rated themselves at low risk of HIV infection despite practicing unsafe sex. Efforts to raise
adolescents’ self-awareness of risk of HIV infection through life skills education and HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
risk reduction strategies may be beneficial to students in this at-risk group.