Atlas Research Awarded CDC iQual Local Effectiveness Assessment Project (LEAP) Contract

October 10, 2014

Atlas Research has received an award to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) efforts to conduct a series of detailed case studies that will provide in-depth descriptions of local HIV prevention and care efforts for men who have sex with men (MSM) and the context within which those efforts are conducted. Abt Associates will work as a sub-contractor with Atlas Research.

Specifically, Atlas and Abt Associates will conduct a single-site pilot case study after CDC selects the location and completes its review of HIV surveillance data. Findings from the initial case study will guide future case study strategies aimed at developing appropriate health education resources for this target audience.

MSM are the group most affected by HIV in the U.S. CDC estimates MSM represent approximately 2% of the US population, but account for more than half of new HIV infections. HIV surveillance data indicate there is considerable variation between different local jurisdictions in prevalence of HIV, awareness of HIV status, and in rates of new diagnosis of HIV infection among MSM.