BEHAVIORAL SURVEILLANCE

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to assess risk behaviors and trends in behaviors over time of persons at risk for HIV is vital to addressing the HIV epidemic. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) proposes to conduct the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project, 2008-2010, in the Newark Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA). The Newark PMSA is the region of the state most impacted by the HIV epidemic, of the 47,672 cumulatively reported AIDS cases in New Jersey as of December 2004, 40 percent (18,882) are located in the Newark PMSA. Over the three-year period of the grant, the NJDHSS will successively assess HIV risk behaviors among Men who Have Sex with Men (MSM), Injection Drug Users (IDU) and Heterosexuals residing in high-risk areas. Data will be collected through the administration of a 30-45 minute survey and a voluntary HIV test. Among the MSM, venue-based sampling (VBS) will be employed to select the date and time slots in which to conduct sampling events. Events will be randomly selected on a monthly basis from a list of previously identified locations at which the MSM are known to socialize. Respondent driven sampling (RDS) will be employed for recruitment of IDU; IDU seed respondents will be asked to recruit other persons who are IDU. Either VBS or RDS will be used to access the High-Risk Heterosexual (HRH) population. A total of 500 persons will be interviewed for each of the three target populations. The research findings from the NHBS will be shared with the scientific and public health community through presentations and publications. Reports will include the prevalence and trends in risk and prevention behaviors identified through the survey. The findings may be used by agencies such as the New Jersey HIV Prevention Community Planning Group for use in priority setting, planning and evaluation of HIV prevention services.