Surveillance of HIV-Related Service Barriers Among Individuals with Early or Late HIV Diagnoses (SHIELD)

About SHIELD

Surveillance of HIV-related service barriers among Individuals with Early or Late HIV Diagnoses (SHIELD) is a survey that assesses the barriers, gaps, and missed opportunities related to HIV prevention and testing services among adults who received a recent early- or late-stage HIV diagnosis. Information gathered from SHIELD can be used to help improve the quality of HIV prevention and testing services throughout the United States. The project is conducted by state and local health departments in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Participating health departments

What's collected

During the health survey, participants are asked basic information, such as age, gender, and race, as well as questions about health care and lived experiences. Participants do not need to answer any question that they do not want to, and their name is not attached to survey answers. No information will be sent to CDC that can identify them.

How information is collected

• Like many other reportable health conditions, all HIV diagnoses are reported to public health departments.
• SHIELD contacts adults who received a recent early (Stage 0) or late-stage (Stage 3) HIV diagnosis from this list of reported cases. Only persons contacted by SHIELD can participate.
• Persons are contacted either directly by a participating health department or through their providers to invite them to participate in the survey.
• Participants complete the survey over the phone or online.
• Participants receive a token of appreciation in the form of an electronic gift card.
• SHIELD staff follow strict protocols to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of participant information. No individual identifiers, including participant or provider names or addresses, are sent to CDC, nor will they be released or used in any reports.

How SHIELD data are used

SHIELD data will be used to identify actionable missed opportunities for HIV prevention and early diagnosis. Learning about the prevention and testing experiences of people who received their diagnosis at either an early or late stage of HIV provides a needed perspective and the opportunity to improve HIV prevention and testing services to reach those who need them most.

Information from SHIELD will be used by prevention planning groups, policy leaders, health care providers, and people with HIV to advocate for needed resources and improve the quality of those services.

Information for participants

For help locating HIV or other health-related services in your area, contact the following health department staff:

Resources