Illinois: Chatting It Up; Chicago Health Surveyors Take to the Streets to Take Pulse of Community

Project CHAT (Chicago Health Assessment project) aims to compile the most detailed and diverse survey ever on Chicago men who have sex with men (MSM) on matters related to sex, drugs, and HIV/AIDS. "We're looking at what kinds of behaviors are being sustained, what behaviors are being changed," as well as their awareness and use of local HIV services, said Nik Prachand, an epidemiologist with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) who is directing CHAT. By year's end, Project CHAT will have interviewed over 1,000 MSM.

Project CHAT is part of a survey effort to be conducted in over two-dozen U.S. metropolitan areas. The CDC-funded studies will be central to the government's effort to reduce the national HIV infection rate by 50 percent. This year's focus is on gay and bisexual men. Next year, teams will target injection drug users; high-risk heterosexuals will be the focus the following year; and then the focus returns to gay and bisexual men. "This information is going to be fed directly back into the health planning process," said Jim Pickett of CDPH.

Chicago began Project CHAT last December after five months of planning and identifying MSM venues. About 50 sites were targeted for their geographic and cultural scope. Three-person teams count patrons entering venues, selecting participants to ensure the sample is random and comprehensive. At the conclusion of the 15- to 20-minute interview, each participant receives $25, though this is not mentioned initially.

The overall response from venue owners has been very good, said CHAT members, and about 91 percent of people asked to take the survey agree to participate. "There's a big sense of giving back," said Jose Gonzalez, a CHAT member. "People want to feel like they're contributing to the overall wellness of the community."

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