HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Section Reaches Milestone

Atlanta NHBS Team members after completing surveys at a local bar in October 27, 2011.  Pictured l-r back row: Jhetari Carney, Monique Martin, Jeff Todd, Genetha Mustaafaa, KaeAnn Parris. Middle row: Linda Chukwura, Angela DeQuesada, Greg Bautista, Cameron Hartwill, Carla Hardy.  Front row: Dr. Jianglan White, Melissa Cribbin, Natalie Spears. Also in attendance were special guests from the CDC (not pictured) Dr. Jonathan H. Mermin, Director of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention; Dr. James D. Heffelfinger, Branch Chief, Clinical Outcome and Behavioral Surveillance Branch; Dr.Gabriela Paz-Bailey, NHBS Team Leader; and from DPH, Dr. J. Patrick O'Neal, Director of Health Protection.

It is an important milestone for the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) Atlanta Team (housed in Georgia HIV/AIDS Epidemiology section at DPH). One of only a few funded sites in the U.S. who reached this milestone ahead of schedule - the Atlanta Team surpassed the CDC-assigned 2011 goal of completing 500 interviews with men who have sex with men (MSM). This milestone is one cycle of a larger study to analyze HIV-related risk behaviors, testing behaviors, as well as HIV prevalence among the populations at high risk, including men who have sex with men (MSM), injection drug users (IDU) and heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV (HET).

In addition to reaching the milestone early, the Atlanta NHBS Team has also maintained an impressive 94 percent rate of acceptance for HIV testing offered to survey respondents.
Using data from each of the 19 NHBS project sites, researchers with the CDC will generate a detailed report describing trends in HIV-related experiences of MSM.

“Each year, there are 3,000 new HIV infections reported in Georgia,” said Greg Bautista, Project Coordinator for the NHBS Atlanta team. “Of these cases, 55 to 61 percent are in the category of MSM. In fact, MSM is the risk group in the U.S. in which new HIV infections are increasing. Findings from the study will inform the development of public health preventive strategies to reduce HIV infection rates.”

DPH has various teams of public health practitioners dedicated to reducing HIV transmission and providing excellence in Georgia's HIV/AIDS services through innovation and community partnership.

-Story by Kimberly Stringer, DPH Communications

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