Behavioral surveillance contributes to the ability of community-based organizations, health care and service providers, and public health departments to effectively and efficiently design and implement HIV prevention programs. Michigan is a moderate ? morbidity state with 12,982 persons reported as living with HIV/AIDS as of July 2007. The Detroit Metropolitan Statistical Area (DMSA) is the Southeastern region of the State that includes the City of Detroit and six surrounding counties. Forty five percent of Michigan's population lives in the DMSA while 62% of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the State were living in the DMSA at the time of diagnosis.
The specific aim of the proposed project is to establish a National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) System that will identify and monitor HIV risk behaviors of individuals living in the Detroit Division of the Detroit Metropolitan Statistical Area (DD-DMSA). This system will gather data that will evaluate existing prevention initiatives in the MSA, as well as inform future planning and educational efforts. Program activities will occur over three years, i.e., from 2008 through 2010. The first year data will be collected from men who have sex with men (MSM); injecting drug users (IDU) will be the targeted population for the second year; and during the third year data will be collected from heterosexuals (HET) at increased risk for contracting HIV. The proposed program will address the following objectives: ? 1. Conduct a survey among MSM, IDU, or HET populations each year to assess risk ? behaviors and access to and utilization of HIV prevention programs in the DD-DMSA, ? including HIV testing services; ? 2. Establish data collection to occur in yearly cycles, targeting one of the above ? identified groups each year; ? 3. Utilize venue-based, time-space, or respondent driven sampling and recruitment ? strategies; ? 4. Complete surveys with at least 500 eligible participants during each cycle; ? 5. Provide voluntary HIV counseling and testing to all participants throughout each ? cycle to assess HIV seroprevalence and incidence; ? 6. Collaborate on survey development and implementation with CBOs who are ? directly funded by both the CDC and through the community planning process for ? allocating Federal HIV prevention funds; ? 7. Consult with researchers from academic institutions who have expertise in ? qualitative methods regarding the implementation of the proposed project ? 8. Conduct evaluations of the NHBS system, its sampling strategies and data ? collection methods to ensure that the system is meeting its goals and to develop ? recommendations for improving the quality, efficiency, and usefulness of NHBS ? both nationally and within the Detroit Division of the MSA. ? ? ?
