How to Join an AIDS Clinical Trial

AIDS trials exist for several reasons. They help researchers test new treatments and immunizations. They also look at which educational and counseling methods are most effective at stopping the spread of AIDS. Some trials even examine how to keep dying AIDS patients comfortable at home or in the hospital. Read on to learn how to join an AIDS clinical trial.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Join an AIDS Clinical Trial

1. Understand the stages of clinical trials. Briefly, Phase I trials establish a safe dosage and check for side effects. Phase II trials are given to a slightly larger group of people to continue checking for side effects and to see if the medication appears effective. Phase III trials test the treatment being researched against the current "gold standard" treatment. Phase IV trials continue checking for long-term benefits and side effects.

2. Decide why you want to participate in a clinical trial. To improve your chances of getting better and living longer? To get more attentive medical care? To get free medications and treatment? To benefit others with HIV/AIDS? All of these reasons are valid, but it is important to know exactly what you want before moving forward.

3. Prepare to follow the rules of the trial to the letter. For the results to mean anything, you must follow the treatment regimen the doctor lays out for you, show up for tests when you are scheduled and honestly answer questions about side effects.

4. Know your rights. You have a right to be informed about the details of the trial, risks and benefits. You also have a right to stop participating in the AIDS clinical trial at any time.

5. Realize that if you participate in an AIDS clinical trial, you may not be placed in the "experimental" group. This means you might get the new trial medication or you might get the best medications currently available on the market. Rarely, you may even receive a placebo--a treatment with no medicinal value like a sugar pill or a injection of saline.

Find an AIDS Clinical Trial

6. Talk to your doctor. Your doctor may have insider knowledge when it comes to who is doing research in the area and who needs volunteers. Your doctor can also steer you away from scams.

7. Speak to your local AIDS service organization. Such organizations often receive information about clinical trials to pass on to clients.

8. Go to Clinical Trials, a website operated by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, to search for clinical trials in your area. You can search by name of condition, location, sponsor and status. See the Resources section below for a link.

Tips & Warnings

• All clinical trials have guidelines about who can participate. For instance, some want patients with very low T-cell counts and others want patients whose immune systems are still functioning very well. Some studies don't want women of child bearing age. Don't be discouraged if you don't qualify for one study. Chances are, you will qualify for another.
• Clinical trials often pay a significant portion of your health care costs. For instance, they will pay for the cost of any medicine you take as as part of the trial as well as for the cost of any monitoring or testing the researchers do. Many people join clinical trials because they receive better health care than they could otherwise afford.
• Always coordinate clinical trial participation with your doctor. You should tell anybody who routinely provides health care for you that you are planning to join a medical clinical trial.
• If you are taking a new medication, the researchers will give you several signs and symptoms to watch for, such as a blotchy rash or swelling of lips. If you experience these symptoms, seek medical care immediately.

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Resources

• Find an AIDS Trial on the Clinical Trials Website