AEGiS-15IAC: A supplemental HIV/AIDS behavioral surveillance project in the United States--methods and data utilization.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

A supplemental HIV/AIDS behavioral surveillance project in the United States--methods and data utilization.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. C10448)

Campsmith ML, Nakamura GV
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United States

ISSUES: Behavioral data enhance standard HIV/AIDS surveillance and can help guide public health planning at both the local and national levels. This report describes the methodology and data utilization from a supplemental HIV/AIDS behavioral surveillance project in the United States (US).

DESCRIPTION: Since 1990 the Supplement to HIV/AIDS Surveillance (SHAS) project has interviewed HIV-infected adults to collect behavioral data useful for guiding HIV prevention and care programs. Funding is provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; currently 19 state and local health departments participate. Project recruitment is either population-based or from select health care facilities. Local staff conduct a standardized personal interview. Over time the questionnaire has been revised in response to emerging issues related to HIV; for example, introduction of antiretroviral therapies. Data are routinely analyzed by race/ethnicity, sex, age, and HIV risk; local sites analyze their own data and aggregate analyses are conducted by national project staff.

LESSONS LEARNED: Supplemental HIV/AIDS surveillance projects should be flexible to accommodate the evolving needs of local and national public health programs. SHAS data have been useful for developing epidemiologic profiles for prioritizing local prevention activities to specific demographic and behavioral groups. Aggregate data are used to evaluate progress toward national HIV prevention goals of reducing unprotected sex and injection drug use among HIV-infected persons. Other analyses have examined quality of life, sources of care, medication adherence, and unmet treatment needs related to HIV disease.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Local and national HIV programs should consider conducting supplemental behavioral surveillance projects. Data on behaviors, health service utilization, and unmet need can be used for program evaluation and to inform decisions on prioritizing prevention programs and resource allocation.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Unsafe Sex, HIV Infections, United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.), Interviews, Adult, methods, epidemiology, utilization

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