Perceptions of a Community Sample about Participation in Future HIV Vaccine Trials in South India

Abstract

Focus group discussions were conducted to assess factors that might impact participation of subgroups in Chennai for future HIV vaccine trials. The participants were 112 men and women representing the following: (1) transport workers; (2) clients who attended a sexually transmitted disease clinic; (3) injection drug users; (4) men having sex with men; (5) women in sex work; and (6) monogamous married women. Participants expressed an intense interest in future HIV vaccine trials. Willingness to participate in future trials included altruism and the desire to have a protective vaccine for the future. Assurances regarding stigma and confidentiality, and compensation for families in the event of a poor outcome with a future HIV vaccine trial were reported. Concerns also centered on the impact of seroconverting, and a possible increase in risk behaviors. The need for education and counseling about the dangers of engaging in risky behavior during and after participating in a future HIV vaccine trial is discussed.

Risk compensation in HIV prevention: Implications for vaccines, microbicides, and other biomedical HIV prevention technologies

“…Focus group research has reported that commercial sex workers, for example, would have few fears of HIV once they have been vaccinated, diminishing their motivation to have customers use condoms [8]. Individuals perceive HIV as less of a threat in the event that they were vaccinated and that they would likely increase their sexual risk behaviors following vaccination.…”

Factors Associated with Willingness to Participate in HIV Vaccine Trials among High-Risk Populations in South India

“…During phase I (qualitative), 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, the findings of which are presented elsewhere. 4 During the Phase II (quantitative) study, 501 study participants were enrolled. These included five highrisk groups composed of the following: transport workers (TWs), persons diagnosed with a recent sexually transmitted infection (STI) from government hospitals and NGOs (STIs), injection drug users (IDUs), men having sex with men (MSMs), and female sex workers (FSWs).…”

Willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials among men who have sex with men in Chennai and Mumbai, India

“…The few WTP studies conducted in India [13][14][15][16] provide limited information due to small samples of MSM subsumed in larger studies of vulnerable groups and lack of exploration of what may be population-specific phenomena among MSM in the Indian context. Diversity within MSM communities in India, including by socioeconomic status and sexual self-identification [17], further suggest the need to explore potential subpopulation differences in WTP and trial-related concerns.…”