title: Respondent-Driven Sampling in a Multi-Site Study of Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men.
abstract: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used to recruit four samples of Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in three metropolitan areas to measure HIV prevalence and sexual and drug use behaviors. We compared demographic and behavioral risk characteristics of participants across sites, assessed the extent to which the RDS statistical adjustment procedure provides estimates that differ from the crude results, and summarized our experiences using RDS.
  
  
  
  From June 2005 to March 2006 a total of 2,235 MSM were recruited and interviewed: 614 Black MSM and 516 Latino MSM in New York City, 540 Black MSM in Philadelphia, and 565 Latino MSM in Los Angeles County. Crude point estimates for demographic characteristics, behavioral risk factors and HIV prevalence were calculated for each of the four samples. RDS Analysis Tool was used to obtain population-based estimates of each sampled population's characteristics.
  
  
  
  RDS adjusted estimates were similar to the crude estimates for each study sample on demographic characteristics such as age, income, education and employment status. Adjusted estimates of the prevalence of risk behaviors were lower than the crude estimates, and for three of the study samples, the adjusted HIV prevalence estimates were lower than the crude estimates. However, even the adjusted HIV prevalence estimates were higher than what has been previously estimated for these groups of MSM in these cities. Each site faced unique circumstances in implementing RDS.
  
  
  
  Our experience in using RDS among Black and Latino MSM resulted in diverse recruitment patterns and uncertainties in the estimated HIV prevalence and risk behaviors by study site.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Electronic address: csm5@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Murrill
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV and STD Programs, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
authors.forename: Trista
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.affiliation: Public Health Management Corporation.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lauby
authors.affiliation: Human Development Research Cambodia (HDRC).
authors.forename: Kai-Lih
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago.
authors.forename: Darrell
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carballo-Diéguez
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
authors.forename: Gregorio A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Millett
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Field experiences; HIV; Men who have sex with men; Respondent-driven sampling