Some of the smaller areas include as many reported patients as possible, whereas the larger projects interview a sample of reported patients. Availability depends on mortality status of the patient, permission from the patient to be interviewed, and the ability of the patient to respond to the comprehensive interview. The AIDS or HIV case report is the source for identifying potential interviewees. The data instrument is a questionnaire divided into six modules. The record unit in the database is the questionnaire.
Race is based on self-identification.
This continuous data collection is active. Participating projects have access to their local data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not receive names or personal identifiers which could reveal the identity of study participants. Data specific to geographic areas such as towns or counties must be aggregated if five or fewer cases were reported for the area.