Identifying HIV prevention service needs of African American men who have sex with men: an application of spatial analysis techniques to service planning

Abstract

Background: Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are a priority population for HIV prevention.

Method: We applied spatial analysis techniques to map the availability of HIV prevention services to young black MSM in Chicago to guide prevention planning. GIS was used to map characteristics of ZIP codes in Chicago. Choropleth maps and descriptive statistics were used to visualize and analyze the data.

Results: Areas where young black MSM reside typically have low HIV service densities. HIV service density also corresponds poorly to some ZIP codes in which young black MSM who report high rates of unprotected sexual behavior reside.

Conclusion: Spatial analysis can show whether services are located near specific populations of interest. Data from multiple sources can be integrated to explore relationships among characteristics of geographic zones.