Mapping the air-bridge locations: The application of ethnographic mapping techniques to a study of HIV risk behavior determinant in East Harlem, New York, and Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Ethnographic mapping plays an important role in learning more about the geographic location and temporal movement of hidden populations; it also aids in the exploration of drug use patterns and the social infrastructure of drug users. This paper presents a narrative account of the development and implementation of a mapping process for the ARIBBA project, a dual-site study of the HIV risk behaviors of Puerto Rican drug injectors and crack smokers. The overall goals of the project are to understand the differences in influences on HIV-related risk behaviors. Mapping provided the environmental context for data analysis and led to new insights on both the differences and the similarities between field locations and target populations. Mapping substantively enhanced the ability to make meaningful comparisons in the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data.