Characteristics of volunteer participants in phase I HIV vaccine trials

Motivators to participation in actual HIV vaccine trials

An examination of actual HIV vaccine trials can contribute to an understanding of motivators for participation in these studies. Analysis of these motivators reveals that they can be categorized as social and personal benefits. Social benefits are generally altruistic, whereas personal benefits are psychological, physical, and financial. In this systematic review, the authors performed a literature search for actual preventive HIV vaccine trials reporting motivators to participation. Of studies conducted in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the authors retrieved 12 studies reporting on social benefits and seven reporting on personal benefits. From the non-OECD countries, nine studies reported on social benefits and eight studies on personal benefits. Social benefits were most frequently described on macroscopic, altruistic levels. Personal benefits were most frequently psychological in nature. Rates of participation were compared between the OECD and the non-OECD countries. Knowledge of actual motivators in specific countries and regions can help target recruitment in various types of actual HIV vaccine trials.

Motivators to participation in medical trials: the application of social and personal categorization

The Health Belief Model provides a framework to understand motivators for volunteering for medical research. Motivators can take the form of social and personal benefits. In this systematic review of review articles, we contrast motivators of participation in actual cancer trials to those in actual HIV vaccine trials. We retrieved eight review articles from 2000 to 2012 examining motivators to participation in actual cancer trials. Personal benefits were most often psychological in nature, such as "coping with symptoms." Social benefits included "advancing research," "helping other cancer patients," and "for their family." While specific motivators vary between considerations - cancer research and HIV vaccine trials, these motivators fall into similar categories at similar frequencies. For example, personal/psychological benefits are common in each. Participant recruitment must be mindful of these categories of motivators for both cancer and HIV vaccine research.

Correlates of willingness to participate in microbicide research among African Americans

The objective of the present article is to identify predictors of willingness to participate (WTP) in microbicide trials among African Americans. A total of 595 participants completed a survey on WTP in microbicide trials and predictors of WTP. Significant associations were observed for relationships of greater WTP with female gender, greater HIV risk, lower mistrust of research, and knowing someone with HIV/AIDS. An interaction revealed HIV risk was positively associated with WTP for women only. Accurate knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study was associated with greater WTP. These predictors may be employed in microbicide trials to enhance African American participation.

Barriers of enrolment in HIV vaccine trials: a review of HIV vaccine preparedness studies

Barriers to participation in an HIV vaccine trial have been examined in many HIV vaccine preparedness studies (VPS). These barriers can be understood in terms of the locus of the barrier (personal vs. social) and the nature of the barrier (risk vs. cost). Another type of barrier is perceived misconceptions. In this systematic review, we categorize barriers, and compare these barriers between the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and the non-OECD countries. In the OECD countries, we retrieved 25 studies reporting personal risks (PR), 9 studies reporting social risks (SR), 10 studies reporting personal costs (PC), and 16 studies reporting misconceptions. In the non-OECD countries, we retrieved 27 studies reporting PR, 19 studies reporting SR, 18 studies reporting PC, 1 study reporting social costs (SC), and 13 studies reporting misconceptions. Important PR were "adverse effects" and "vaccine-induced seropositivity", "distrust of institutions", and "temptation to have unsafe sex" in men who have sex with men (MSM). "Discrimination" was a common SR. "Time commitment" was an important PC, and "family commitments" were a SC in one non-OECD country. "HIV infection from the vaccine" was a common misconception. Both the OECD and the non-OECD countries have similar barriers, and people's decisions to participate in a clinical trial involve multiple barriers. However, these barriers apply to hypothetical HIV vaccine trials, and barriers for actual vaccine trials need further assessment.

Participation in two phase II prophylactic HIV vaccine trials in the UK

There will be a continued imperative to recruit large numbers of healthy volunteers to early phase prophylactic HIV vaccine (PHV) trials. We studied mechanisms associated with participation in two related phase II PHV trials. The most cited reasons for volunteering were altruism and a personal connection to HIV. The most successful recruiting strategies targeted organisations dealing with HIV, health or social issues, or were directed to large audiences through the mass media. However, circulated emails and word of mouth were the most resource-effective approaches. Group discussions and the collection of a pool of potential volunteers were much less effective than one-to-one discussions and immediate screening after recruitment. We utilised our findings to devise key recommendations to assist PHV trial teams who are planning future studies.