CDC's National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system: Methods and impact on HIV prevention among key populations

Cyprian Wejnert, Ph.D.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ABSTRACT:
The National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system was designed to monitor risk factors for HIV infection and HIV prevalence among individuals at increased risk for HIV infection, that is, sexually active men who have sex with men who attend venues, persons who recently injected drugs, and heterosexuals of low socioeconomic status living in urban areas. These groups were selected as priorities for behavioral surveillance because they represent the major HIV transmission routes and the populations with the highest HIV burden. Accurate data on HIV risk and testing behaviors in these populations are critical for understanding trends in HIV infections and planning and evaluating effective HIV prevention activities. This presentation will provide an overview of NHBS and the methods it employs (respondent-driven sampling and venue-based sampling), and will highlight some of the impact findings from NHBS have had on HIV prevention.