By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

Results from the first project measuring population-based estimates of demographic, social and behavioral characteristics associated with HIV infection and testing services in Chicago were unveiled March 17 at the monthly meeting of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Nik Prachand, an epidemiologist with Chicago Department of Public Health, described the results of the ongoing project, which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and focused on gay men, injection drug users and at-risk homosexuals.

The project addressed each of the three groups’ HIV/STD risk behaviors, testing behaviors and exposure to HIV prevention messages. CDPH spent a year studying each group.

When gay men were studied in 2004 CDPH went out to such neighborhood venues as bars, dance clubs, stores and churches where research suggested they could find willing respondents. Finding venues where target populations could be accessed “was a core component of this research,” Prachand said.

“(CDPH) had no idea what the scope of the population was,” he added, and admitted that that unfamiliarity can bring limitations to the eventual data.

In all, 1098 men who have sex with men were sampled. They were asked to fill out surveys comprised of standard questions mandated by the CDC and questions relating to local prevention efforts.

Of the men who responded, about 78 percent were from the North Side, with 14 percent from the South Side and about 8 percent from other parts of the city. About 73 percent said that they were “currently testing” for HIV—that is, they had been tested within the previous year. The testing was most often done, according to the findings, in community health centers.

Prachand acknowledged that the findings about testing locations were vague.

“CDC didn’t differentiate the categories in this question well,” he said, indicating that the wording does not allow CDPH to determine whether the testing was done at health facilities geared to serve GLBTs.

About a third of the respondents reported having unprotected anal intercourse in the previous two years. About 75 percent did not know the status of their last casual partner, while 36 percent did not know the status of their main partner.

Prachand added that 30 percent were not aware of their own status.

“This talks directly to our own local efforts,” he said.

About half the sample said they had used drugs in the previous year, with marijuana, at 77 percent, being the most frequently used substance. About 38 percent used amyl nitrate and 20 percent used crystal meth. Prachand said that the study did not measure alcohol use in gay men. The substance use portion of the survey, he added, was written by the CDC.

Intravenous drug users were surveyed in six fixed locations throughout 2005. Pranchard said that of those respondents 32 percent were unaware of their current status and nearly 6 percent were aware that they were HIV-positive.

The targeted heterosexual populations were determined by mapping out census tracts with some level of HIV and some levels of poverty, which Prachand said is a leading indicator of risk for that population. Among the 15 areas targeted were Logan Square, Lincoln Square, Englewood and South Chicago. The prevalence rate for HIV infection among the respondents was 1.85 percent, “which is extremely high,” said Prachand, who said that rate is comparable to rates in Honduras or the Dominican Republic.

Another study of gay and bisexual men begins in June of this year. Prachand said that survey would additionally ask about both adverse childhood experiences and sero-adaptation practices and expand the number of questions that tie drug abuse to sexual behavior.