The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47513

Beth Canfield, MPH¹, Catherine A Heaney, PhD, MPH¹, Randi Love, PhD, Judith Neidig, PhD³, and Sharla K. Willis, DrPH⁴. (1) School of Public Health, Ohio State University, 320 West 10th Avenue, B-207 Starling-Loving Hall, Columbus, OH 43210-1240, 614/292-4527, canfield.16@osu.edu, (2) AIDS Clinical Trial Unit, Ohio State University, 4813 Cramblett Hall, 456 W 10th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, (3) Ohio State University School of Public Health, 320 West 10th Ave., B209 Starling-Loving Hall, Columbus, OH 43210

Purpose of Study: To explore HIV+ women’s experiences participating in clinical trials, focusing on perceptions, iterative decision making, and impacts on their personal life stories

Research Objectives:

What is the nature of the experience of participating in a clinical trial for HIV+ women?

How do women interpret this experience and incorporate it into their lives?

What are the major decision points in considering participation in a clinical trial?

The use of drug therapies has helped extend the quantity of life and improve the quality of life for HIV+ people and is considered to be the gold standard for treatment. Due to the rapid rate of viral resistance, continued research into newer therapies remains vitally important. While the epidemiology and biology of HIV/AIDS is relatively well-established, many psychosocial issues, like the decision to participate in a clinical trial, related to treatment remain puzzling. Under-recruitment of women into trials may limit health care practitioners’ ability to provide optimally effective care for HIV+ women.

This research explores the process HIV+ women use to make decisions about enrolling and continuing participation in a clinical trial. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with 12 HIV+ women participating in a trial. The qualitative methods used in this study are guided by grounded theory and use systematic data collection and analysis to derive theoretical frameworks inductively; these methods were chosen due to the scarcity of information and the study's focus on decision-making processes. Implications for policy and practice guidelines will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Recognize benefits and barriers to clinical trial participation for HIV+ women
• Describe the importance trial participation has on these women's lives
• Discuss how women incorporate the trial regime into their daily lives

Keywords: Clinical Trails, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Women are being recruited from 2 AIDS Clinical Trial Units in Ohio.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.