Social Impacts among Participants in HIV Vaccine Trial Network (HVTN) preventive HIV vaccine trials
Andrasik, M.P.; Sesay, F.Albertina.; Isaacs, A.; Oseso, L.; Allen, M.
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 2020
2020
ISSN/ISBN: 1525-4135 PMID: 32304522 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002369Document Number: 199533
Given the persistent stigma and discrimination against HIV worldwide, preventive HIV vaccine trials face unique challenges. Negative social impacts (NSIs) - problems that HIV vaccine trial participants face in many different spheres of their lives related to trial participation - have received a great deal of attention. Beneficial social impacts (BSIs) - perceived benefits experienced by a participant and resulting from their trial participation - are a critical component of participants' experiences, yet they have received little attention. All HVTN trial participants for whom social impact data were available - 8,347 participants in 13 countries who enrolled in 48 phase 1, 2a and 2b trials METHODS:: A cross protocol analysis to assess self-reported BSIs and NSIs related to participating in a preventive HIV vaccine trial. Data were obtained from 48 completed HVTN vaccine trials from December 2000 to September 2017 RESULTS:: Overall 6572 participants (81%) reported at least one BSI and 686 participants (8%) reported 819 NSI events. Altruism/feeling good helping others was the BSI most often endorsed by study participants (43%) followed by receiving risk reduction counseling (30%). The majority of NSI events (81%) were reported by US/Swiss participants and most (79%) trial related NSIs were negative reactions from friends, family, and partners. Of the NSIs reported, 7% were considered to have a major impact on the participant's quality of life. Our results underscore the relatively common experiences of BSIs among preventive HIV vaccine trial participants and mirror the results of other studies that find infrequent reports of NSIs.