Willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials among men who have sex with men in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Projeto Praça Onze Study Group.
Evaluation of HIV vaccines requires high-risk individuals willing to participate in a vaccine trial. We investigated the willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials of initially HIV-seronegative homosexual men enrolled in an HIV seroincidence cohort study. Of 815 initially HIV-seronegative participants, 569 (69.8%) reported willingness to participate in an HIV vaccine trial. Altruism was the primary reason given for wanting to participate. Fear of HIV infection from the study's immunizations and a vaccine-induced positive HIV test result were the main reasons for not wanting to participate. Of the 34 study subjects who eventually had HIV seroconversion, 29 (85%) had indicated a willingness to participate. In a univariate analysis, factors associated with willingness to participate included HIV seroconversion during follow-up (odds ratio [OR]. 2.6; p =.04), low educational level (OR, 1.6; p =.005), low family income (p =.02), and exchanging sex for housing, food, or clothing (OR 6.1; p =.005). Students were less likely to be willing to participate in a trial (OR, 0.7; p = .03), as well as those who reported sex at the first encounter (OR, 0.7; p = .05). In a multivariate analysis, low education level, infection with Condyloma, and exchanging sex for housing, food, or clothing were positively associated with willingness to participate, whereas being a student and reporting sex at first encounter were negatively associated. In general, factors indicative of high-risk of HIV infection were associated with a higher willingness. These data demonstrate that this high-risk homosexual male cohort has a high willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials.
Périssé
A R
AR
Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Brazil.
Schechter
M
M
Moreira
R I
RI
do Lago
R F
RF
Santoro-Lopes
G
G
Harrison
L H
LH
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D016915:AIDS Vaccines