Behavioural Surveillance Surveys - The Wisdom of Whores

Q109. If the respondent says he/she does
not have a religion, circle 0; if the respondent
does not answer, circle 9 for NO RESPONSE.
Q110. In most places, asking about
ethnicity is important for clear descriptions of
target groups. Most people identify strongly
with only one ethnic group, even if their
parents come from two different groups.
There should be only one answer for this
question because we are asking to which
group the respondent identifies most strongly.
If the respondent is of mixed ethnicity and
states that they do not identify strongly with
either ethnic group, then circle the code for
MIXED ETHNICITY.
Q111, Q112, Q113. Alcohol and drug use
correlate with increased risk of infection with
HIV and other STDs. Assessing levels of
alcohol and drug use among target groups can
help to direct educational strategies. Q111
asks about frequency of alcohol use; only one
answer is possible. Q112 asks where alcohol
is most frequently consumed within the past
4 weeks and must be adapted using local
categories. In Q113, categories or types of
drugs most often available must be included
for the local area. Each type of drug is read
out to the respondent, and they are asked
if they have ever tried each one. For each
possibility, the interviewer must circle the
number for YES, NO, DON’T KNOW (DK)
or NO RESPONSE (NR).
Section 2: Marriage and live-in
partnerships
The four questions in this section do not
look like the typical marital status questions
usually asked in these kinds of surveys. They
attempt to establish whether or not a person
has ever been married and age at first marriage,
if the person currently lives with or is married
to someone, and whether or not the partners
are currently living together. Living with a
person in a sexual relationship or marrying
someone changes an individual’s status in
society and potentially, their level of risk of
infection with HIV. These questions begin to
assess sexual risk behavior by exploring
marital or live-in partnerships. A marital
relationship is a legal, religious, or socially
recognized union. Sexual relationships between
married or live-in partners are generally
considered to be less risky than other kinds
of sexual relationships, provided that the
relationship is mutually exclusive and neither
partner is already infected. Ultimately, the
questions determine whether the respondent
is married, living apart/separated, single
without specifically asking “what is your
marital status?” Reasons for a particular marital
status (widowed/divorced) are not asked.
A person who is widowed or divorced has
been married but is not currently married.
Q201. This question asks about ever
having been married in order to get at age at
first marriage. “Marriage” involves a religious
or official ceremony. Circle YES, NO, or NO
RESPONSE. Pay attention to the correct skip
patterns, so that if the person has never been
married, then you skip the question about age
at first marriage.
B EHAV I OR A L S U R V EI L L A NC E SURV EY S APPEN DI X 2
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