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Using the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System to Inform HIV Prevention Efforts in the United States

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Abstract

The National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system (NHBS) was designed to monitor HIV prevalence and risk factors for infection among higher-risk individuals, i.e., sexually active men who have sex with men who attend venues, injection drug users who injected in the past 12 months, and heterosexuals living in low socioeconomic urban areas. These groups were selected as priorities for behavioral surveillance since they represent the major HIV transmission routes and the populations with the highest HIV burden. NHBS contributes to the nation’s program of HIV surveillance by being the only multi-site population-based system that provides estimates on key HIV prevention measures among high-risk HIV-negative individuals, HIV-positive individuals unaware of their infection, and HIV-positive individuals aware of their infection who are in and out of care. Accurate and precise data on the behaviors in these populations are critical for tracking the epidemic, planning effective responses, and monitoring and evaluating those responses. Reports in this supplement illustrate the uses of NHBS data at the national and local level and reflect ongoing efforts to improve the system and methods. As we look to the future, behavioral surveillance remains essential for characterizing and monitoring the burden of HIV infection and sexual and behavioral risks.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the authors and anonymous reviewers for their invaluable contribution to the CDC NHBS supplement.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, MS E-46, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA

    Gabriela Paz-Bailey, Amy Lansky & Jonathan Mermin

  2. San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA, USA

    H. Fisher Raymond

  3. University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    H. Fisher Raymond

Authors
  1. Gabriela Paz-Bailey
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  2. H. Fisher Raymond
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  3. Amy Lansky
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  4. Jonathan Mermin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriela Paz-Bailey.

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Paz-Bailey, G., Raymond, H.F., Lansky, A. et al. Using the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System to Inform HIV Prevention Efforts in the United States. AIDS Behav 18 (Suppl 3), 233–236 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0738-7

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