Texas National HIV Behavioral Surveillance

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Project Summary The goal of the Texas National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) project is to monitor the HIV epidemic through HIV risk behavior data of high risk groups in order to guide local HIV prevention programs in Texas and contribute to the development of a National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system. Formative research will be conducted prior to implementation of the survey using key informant interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic assessments to develop local survey questions and to identify local venues for conducting field research activities. The Texas NHBS project team will conduct an anonymous, cross-sectional survey of HIV risk behaviors, access to and utilization of HIV prevention services in three adult high risk populations, men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users (IDU) and heterosexuals at increased risk of HIV (HET) in the Dallas Division, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area. A minimum of 500 surveys will be completed from eligible participants for each MSM and IDU cycle and 450 surveys will be completed from eligible participants for the HET cycle from January 2011 to December 2015 using venue based, time-space sampling and respondent driven sampling methodologies as appropriate for the target population. Voluntary and anonymous HIV testing will also be conducted on consenting participants to estimate HIV seroprevalence of each high risk group. Additionally, voluntary and anonymous hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and syphilis testing will be conducted on consenting participants to estimate HBV, HCV, and syphilis seroprevalence. All surveys, HIV testing, along with HBV, HCV, and syphilis testing will be conducted by a team of trained staff in a secure mobile testing unit (customized recreational vehicle). Research data will be analyzed and study findings will be disseminated to local and national surveillance reporting systems, to community based organizations, and to HIV community planning groups in order to guide prevention resource allocation and to design and evaluate prevention interventions. Further, potential research topics of key risk behavior indicators will be explored by the Texas NHBS research consortium and disseminated through abstracts, presentations, and manuscripts. The Texas NHBS will also conduct evaluations of the local NHBS system, the quality, efficiency, and usefulness of its sampling systems and data collection methods to ensure the system is meeting the project goals.