AIDSQuest: The HIV/AIDS Survey Library
Survey Summaries

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—
Core Items for HIV/STD Behavioral Surveillance (draft)

Overview
In an effort to standardize behavioral surveillance of HIV and STIs in the United States, the Behavioral Surveillance Workgroup at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a list of core questions. These sexual behavior questions when finalized will be considered for inclusion in most CDC-sponsored surveys. Questions on the core instrument have drawn from many other various surveys and experts, including:

• NHSDA: National Household Survey on Drug Abuse 

• BRFSS: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Sexual Behavior Module

• YRBS: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance

• NHIS: National Health Interview Survey

• NSFG: National Survey of Family Growth

• HITS: HIV Testing Survey 

• SHAS: Supplement to HIV and AIDS Surveillance

• RBA: Risk Behavioral Assessment (NIDA)

• NABS: National AIDS Behavioral Survey

• ARMY: Army-wide AIDS Survey

• FEMFOLUP: Follow-up Female, New England Methadone Treatment Follow Up Study

The guidelines for drafting the core questions were:

1. Items should address minimal data needs.

2. To allow for comparisons across all three surveillance levels, a small core set was developed ("first tier questions"), followed by a set of more detailed questions for high-risk and infected populations ("second-tier questions").

3. Most items were selected from existing surveys.

4. The "critical event" approach formed the guiding principle in developing the core survey items. The advantages of this approach include minimal recall bias and that it allows for simple categorical (yes/no) responses.

Some of the questions concerning sexual practices (e.g. anal or oral sex) may not be appropriate in some international regions.

Methodology/validity
The questions are individually credited to their particular survey. Many of the questions are geared toward use in US-based surveys, which is reflected in the content and wording.

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This page updated 21 August 2006

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