Technical Information and Data
Numbered Memos
BRFSS POLICY MEMO 97.2
Instructions for HIV/AIDS Questions
1. Instruction for 1997 Q. 77 (Did you make any of the following changes
in the past 12 months? a. Did you decrease the number of your sexual
partners or become abstinent? b. Do you now have sexual intercourse with
only the same partner? c. Do you now always use condoms for protection?)
If the respondent says "abstinent" when asked 77a, code the response "1"
(yes) and probe "Are you abstinent now?" If the respondent answers "yes" to
the probe, do not read 77b or 77c and code both "7" to indicate "not
applicable." If the respondent answers "no" to the probe, read questions 77b
and 77c and code as appropriate.
2. Instruction for 1997 Q. 68 (If you had a teenager who was sexually
active, would you encourage him or her to use a condom?):
Respondents who say they would advise their teenager to abstain should be
probed once for a "Yes" or "No" answer. If they still insist that their
answer is "abstain" after probing, their response should be coded in the
category "Would give other advice."
3. Coding of 1997 Q. 69 (What are your chances of getting infected with
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS?):
The response "Not applicable" is to be used exclusively for respondents
who volunteer that they already have HIV or AIDS. Selecting this response
category skips to Q. 71 (When was your last blood test for HIV?), because
questions 70, 71a, and 72a are not pertinent for someone with HIV or AIDS.
All other respondents must be coded in category a-d, Dk/Ns, or Refused so
that Q. 70 is the next question they are asked.
4. Coding of 1997 questions 72a (When did you last donate blood) and 71
(When was your last blood test for HIV?):
If the respondent remembers the year but cannot remember the month, code
the first two digits 77 and the last two for the year.
Note: Instructions 2, 3, and 4 above were contained in numbered memo 94.1
issued 1/3/94. They are repeated here to emphasize that they remain in
effect for 1997 and will remain in effect for future years unless superseded
by a subsequent numbered memo or the questions are changed.
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