[Research on contraception: opinion of researchers, subjects and advocates of women rights].
OBJECTIVE
To survey the opinion of researchers, women -- subjects of research-- and of advocates of women's rights about the meaning of "research" and "guinea pigs".


METHODS
Researchers (11), women (18) and advocates (10) were interviewed. The study was qualitative and a thematic analysis was carried out.


RESULTS
Participants experienced difficulty to explain what research meant and some were unable to do so. For the researchers and most of the women, subjects are not guinea pigs, because they have freedom of choice. Most of the advocates, however, said that subjects are guinea pigs, even when they consent to participate in a study.


CONCLUSIONS
The difficulty experienced by researchers when explaining the meaning of research was surprising. The different opinions about "guinea pig" reflect the controversy about its meaning in research. Certainly the expression "guinea pig" does not apply to all studies however the different meanings identified should make researchers cautious about the ethical issues involved in their studies.
Hardy
Ellen
E
Departamento de Tocoginecologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Unicamp, Centro de Pesquisas Materno-Infantis de Campinas, Cemicamp, Campinas, SP. hardy@unicamp.br
Bento
Silvana Ferreira
SF
Osis
Maria José Duarte
MJ
Hebling
Eliana Maria
EM
D001938:Brazil; D003267:Contraception; D032984:Ethics, Research; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012106:Research; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000941:ethics; D035842:Research Subjects; D014933:Women's Rights