NU62PS924762

See project abstract summary attached.

HIV remains a public health concern with approximately 36,000 people newly diagnosed with HIV annually in the U.S. While this number reflects a decline in new cases over the past decade, HIV continues to disproportionately impact men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), transgender women, and some populations who have heterosexual contact (HET), including black and Latino populations and women who exchange sex (WES) for money or drugs.

In King County, WA, these same patterns persist. Due to robust care and prevention efforts, the rate of new HIV diagnoses in King County has declined by over 25% in the past five years, and King County was the first large metropolitan area to achieve the WHO's 90-90-90 goals. Nevertheless, the area remains susceptible to HIV, as demonstrated by a 2018 outbreak among PWID and WES, as well as elevated numbers of cases among MSM-PWID. King County is a priority jurisdiction in the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative, and the initiative's ambitious goals will require careful monitoring of key indicators.

The National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system has been a critical source of surveillance data for monitoring these key indicators in priority populations. This application describes the plans for the Seattle NHBS team based at Public Health - Seattle & King County (PHSKC) to continue five more years of NHBS data collection (2022-2026). The team is applying for Component #1 (Core NHBS), surveys of both optional populations (trans and WES), and both optional activities (anonymous testing for sexually transmitted infections [STI] and hepatitis C virus [HCV]).

The purpose of conducting NHBS surveys in the Seattle division is to continue ongoing bio-behavioral surveillance to inform and evaluate national, state, and local HIV care and prevention activities. The team will collect the required NHBS data (N=300-500 participants depending on the cycle). Data will be used to monitor prevalence, risk factors, and contextual factors related to HIV, HCV, and STI among populations overburdened by HIV, including MSM, PWID, HET-eligible participants, transgender women, and WES.

The short-term outcomes of the five-year NHBS project are to utilize Seattle-area NHBS data from both core and optional populations to:

1. Measure HIV prevalence, HIV-related behaviors and contextual factors, use of services, and other health outcomes.
2. Gather and share data locally and nationally to inform resource allocation and evaluation of HIV prevention, testing, and treatment programs.
3. Disseminate data and data-informed recommendations to stakeholders.
4. Contribute to methodological efforts to reach populations at elevated risk of HIV.
5. Enhance collaboration between federal, state, and local partners working on HIV-related efforts.

Achievement of these outcomes will collectively lead toward the achievement of this intermediate outcome: improved monitoring of HIV-related behaviors through an ongoing and adaptable HIV bio-behavioral surveillance system.

The Seattle NHBS team has a long and successful history of participation in NHBS, including meeting most recruitment targets, collaboration with CDC and other NHBS sites on developing and refining survey methods and data collection instruments, dissemination of findings in numerous local reports and peer-reviewed publications, and the use of these data to inform public health activities.

Washington State Department Of Health

NOT APPLICABLE

93.944 - Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Syndrome (AIDS) Surveillance

CDC Office of Financial Resources (OFR) [HHS - CDC]

National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) [HHS - CDC]

Washington United States

State-Wide

National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) (CDC-RFA-PS22-2201)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 485% from $603,016 to $3,524,664.