Behavioural Surveillance Surveys - The Wisdom of Whores

In the past some HIV prevention programs
among injecting drug users promoted carefully
cleaning injecting equipment with bleach
between users as an HIV prevention method.
Recent research calls into question the
effectiveness of this method, and few programs
for drug users now actively promote it. It is
therefore not included as a prevention method
in this indicator.
Many programs aimed at drug injectors
also promote condom use in order to limit
the spread of HIV from infected drug users
to their sexual partners. This is covered in
indicators of sexual risk, and is not included
in the indicator of knowledge specific to
prevention in drug-injecting situations.
But, it may be useful to include an indicator
similar to Adult Indicator 1 for the an IDU
sub-population as well.
Injecting Drug User Indicator 2
No incorrect beliefs about
AIDS transmission
Definition
Numerator :
Number of respondents
who in response to prompted
questions correctly reject the
two most common local
misconceptions about AIDS
transmission or prevention,
and who know that a healthylooking
person can transmit
AIDS.
Denominator : Total number of respondents
surveyed.
Measurement tools
Injecting drug user
questionnaire
Q1104, Q1107
(questions depend
on context)
What it measures
This measure is identical in principle
to Adult Indicator 2. However it is worth
mentioning that there may be prevention or
cure myths specific to the world of injecting
drug users. These should be explored in the
survey planning stage, and be used to replace
more generally held misconceptions where
appropriate.
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C H A PTER 9 B EHAV I OR A L S U R V EI L L A NC E S U R V EY S