Developing standards in behavioral surveillance for HIV/STD prevention

HIV/STD prevention programs are increasingly guided by behavioral rather th an by disease indicators. Relevant HIV/STD-related behavioral information i s currently available from a variety of surveys and surveillance systems at three levels: general population, infected populations, and high-risk popu lations. However, the utility of these systems for local program developmen t is limited due to lack of standardization. In 1997 a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working group was form ed to develop a core set of items for HIV/STD behavioral surveillance for u se across surveys. Core items were chosen on the basis of existing surveys and surveillance systems, relevant literature, testing in a cognitive labor atory, and field pilot-testing. A draft of the core set of sexual behavior questions is available on the web at http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/core_work group review and feedback. Questions on drug use, including drug injection practices, as well as questions on HIV testing and sexually transmitted dis eases are in preparation and will also be posted on the web site for review .