Human sexual contact network as a bipartite graph

A simple model to encapsulate the essential growth properties of the web of human sexual contacts is presented. In the model only heterosexual connection is considered and represented by a random growing bipartite graph where both male-female contact networks grow simultaneously. The time evolution of the model is analysed by a rate equation approach leading to confirm that male and female sexual contact distributions decay as power laws with exponents depending on influx and charisma of the sexes. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.