Baseline demographic characteristics and behavioral risks of individuals accessing CDC-funded HIV prevention services: Results from an analysis of a sample of participants at 22 community-based organizations (CBOs)

Background: Limited data exist on populations reached by HIV prevention interventions implemented by CDC-funded CBOs. Between 2006 and 2010, CDC provided supplemental funding to CBOs to monitor outcomes for five interventions by collecting demographic and risk-behavior data. These data provide information on who was reached by these interventions.

Methods: Data from outcome evaluation studies were combined and analyzed. Frequencies, proportions, and means of demographic and baseline risk-behavior data were analyzed overall, by HIV status, and for men who have sex with men (MSM). Behavioral data were reported separately for studies using a 90- and 30-day recall period for risk behaviors.

Results: Of 3,172 participants enrolled, most were black, non-Hispanic (57%) or Hispanic (27%), male (62%), and 18-24 years old (34%). Most participants reported having a previous HIV test (88%), and 34% reported positive results. Based upon sexual history using a 90-/30-day recall, 55/13% were MSM for the evaluation studies. HIV-positive participants reported an average of 2.5/2.7 partners and 4.4/4.3 unprotected sex events for 90/30-day recall, with 25%/49% reporting one or more unprotected sex events plus multiple partners. Participants without a previous positive HIV test reported an average of 2.2/2.6 partners and 9.5/6.9 unprotected sex events for 90/30-day recall, with 21%/55% reporting multiple partners and unprotected sex events.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CDC-funded interventions successfully enrolled populations disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Participants also reported baseline risk behaviors with high frequency and intensity, promoting the potential for post-intervention risk-behavior reduction.