HIV Risk Reduction Tool Helps People Understand HIV Risk and Strategies for Reducing Their Risk

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK — A beta version of an interactive website to help people understand their risk of getting or transmitting HIV, developed at RTI International under contract to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, debuted this month at the National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta.

The HIV Risk Reduction Tool, available on the CDC website, offers detailed information on HIV, HIV testing, and behaviors that put people at risk of getting or transmitting HIV. The tool is unique in that it offers the ability to tailor the content by gender, HIV status, and gender of one's sexual partners. Users can also change their selections at any time to get information tailored to specific situations. 

"The tool provides current, comprehensive information about HIV in the United States, testing, modes of transmission, factors that increase risk and strategies for reducing risk, all in an effort to help people make informed decisions about how to best decrease their chances of getting or transmitting HIV," said Jennifer Uhrig, Ph.D., the RTI project director.

Another interactive feature allows users to compare the risks of different sexual behaviors and how different prevention methods and risk factors, either alone or in combination, can change those risks. The information is presented from the perspective of either an HIV-negative or HIV-positive person based on user input.

The tool is part of CDC's ongoing HIV awareness and education efforts. 

Although fully available, the tool is currently in a beta release. CDC and RTI plan to revise and improve it over time, conducting an evaluation, adding new research findings and incorporating feedback from users.