Perceptions of barriers and facilitators to participation in clinical trials in HIV-positive Latinas: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Women of color comprise a growing proportion of U.S. HIV/AIDS cases and are poorly represented in HIV/AIDS clinical trials. Improved understanding of reasons for low Latina representation in HIV/AIDS clinical trials is needed to promote participation and improve study generalizability. We studied barriers and facilitators to HIV/AIDS trial participation in HIV-positive Latinas in the U.S.-Mexico border region.


METHODS
Forty HIV-positive Latinas, 10 HIV/AIDS service providers, and 4 HIV/AIDS trial recruiters were consented and received interviewer-administered structured surveys. Fisher's exact tests were used to explore differences between women who had and who had not participated in clinical trials.


RESULTS
Latinas were Mexican born (70%), preferred health information in Spanish (62.5%), had a mean age of 38 years (range 21-60), had a household income < or = 15,000 dollars/year (62.5%), crossed the border at least once/month (45%), and reported residing in Mexico (15%). We found no significant differences between women who participated in a clinical trial (60%) and those who had not (40%) across language, age, education, and border crossing (p > 0.05). Sixty-three percent of Latinas perceived individual-level barriers (e.g., fear, shame, and stigma), and 10% mentioned system-level barriers (e.g., lack of transportation or language-appropriate services); 70% of providers mentioned system barriers. HIV stigma was not reported as a barrier by providers.


CONCLUSIONS
The role of stigma in recruitment of HIV-positive Latinas into clinical trials and differences in perceptions of barriers between Latina participants and service providers merit further exploration. Improved understanding of individual and system barriers to clinical trials participation in a binational context is warranted.
Zúñiga
María Luisa
ML
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0628, USA. mzuniga@ucsd.edu
Blanco
Estela
E
Martínez
Paulina
P
Strathdee
Steffanie A
SA
Gifford
Allen L
AL
D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology*; D006266:Health Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States