DEVELOPING STANDARDS IN BEHAVIORAL SURVEILLANCE FOR HIV/STD PREVENTION

Abstract HIV/STD prevention programs are increasingly guided by behavioral rather than by disease indicators. Relevant HIV/STD-related behavioral information is currently available from a variety of surveys and surveillance systems at three levels: general population, infected populations, and high-risk populations. However, the utility of these systems for local program development is limited due to lack of standardization. In 1997 a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working group was formed to develop a core set of items for HIV/STD behavioral surveillance for use across surveys. Core items were chosen on the basis of existing surveys and surveillance systems, relevant literature, testing in a cognitive laboratory, and field pilot-testing. A draft of the core set of sexual behavior questions is available on the web at http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/core_workgroup for review and feedback. Questions on drug use, including drug injection practices, as well as questions on HIV testing and sexually tr...