Breaking the silence: what homeless 18- to 24-year-olds say about HIV vaccine trials.
Development of a global HIV vaccine will require enrollment of a large number of adults and adolescents in clinical trials. Involvement of homeless young adults in these trials will be particularly important because they often practice high-risk behaviors and are disproportionately infected by HIV. This qualitative study explores factors that might affect future participation of homeless 18- to 24-year-olds of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds in HIV vaccine trials (HIVVTs). Twenty males and females attended focus groups. Participants expressed concern about seroconversion, the trustworthiness of the researchers and/or government agencies conducting trials, vaccine side effects, and possible negative behavior change as a result of being vaccinated. Understanding the personal perspectives of high-risk young adults will enable researchers to tailor protocols to their individual needs and cultural values and, in so doing, potentially enhance willingness to participate in HIVVTs.
Women's Health Research at University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing, 10833 LeConte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6919, USA. dkoniak@sonnet.ucla.edu
Deborah
D
Koniak-Griffin
Adeline
A
Nyamathi
Louise
L
Tallen
Evelyn
E
González-Figueroa
Ernestina
E
Dominick
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States
D016915:AIDS Vaccines