The purpose of this data collection is
to monitor behaviors related to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
infection among persons at high risk for infection in the United
States. Surveillance of behaviors that are risk factors for
infection or disease is an important public health activity.
Behavioral data provide a way to monitor short-term changes in
epidemics without having to wait for changes in disease outcomes.
With conditions such as HIV infection, exposure and manifestation
of the infection may be years apart. By measuring risk behaviors
that are more proximate to the time of HIV infection, it is
possible to identify and respond to trends in behaviors that
anticipate trends in acquisition and transmission of HIV infection,
which in turn would only be reflected years later in HIV/AIDS case
report data. The primary objectives of the proposed system are to
obtain data from samples of persons at risk to A. describe the
prevalence and trends in risk behaviors, B. describe the prevalence
of and trends in HIV testing and HIV infection, C. describe the
prevalence of and trends in use of HIV prevention services, D.
identify met and unmet needs for HIV prevention services. This
project addresses the goals of the CDC HIV Prevention Strategic
Plan, specifically the goal of strengthening the national capacity
to monitor the HIV epidemic to better direct and evaluate
prevention efforts. NHBS will be initiated to help state and local
public health departments establish and maintain a surveillance
system to monitor selected behaviors and access to prevention
services among groups at highest risk for HIV infection. Findings
from NHBS will be used to enhance understanding of risk and testing
behaviors, and to develop and evaluate HIV prevention programs that
provide services to persons at risk for infection. Data from NHBS
also can be used to monitor progress towards other objectives of
the Strategic Plan. In-person interviews will be conducted in 25
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) throughout the United States.
Persons at risk for infection to be interviewed for NHBS include
men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users (IDU), and
heterosexuals living in census tracts that have high HIV/AIDS
prevalence (HET). Potential respondents will complete a screener
that will assess eligibility requirements of residence in the MSA,
age, behavior, previous participation, and language (English or
Spanish). NHBS activities will be implemented in multiple cycles.
During the first cycle of data collection, surveillance activities
focus on MSM. The focus of the second cycle is on IDU. The third
will focus on HET. The long-term plan for NHBS is that these cycles
will be repeated over time such that data are collected from each
risk group every three years. These groups were chosen as the focus
for NHBS based on HIV/AIDS case report data. In 2003, 45 percent of
all diagnosed adult and adolescent HIV/AIDS cases reported by the
33 areas with confidential name-based HIV infection surveillance
were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact, 15 percent to
injection drug use, and 4 percent to male-to-male sexual contact
and injection drug use, and 24 percent to heterosexual
contact.
US Code:
42
USC 301 Name of Law: Public Health Service Act
US Code: 42
USC 306 Name of Law: Public Health Service Act
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.