Take part in a study that could lead to an effective HIV vaccination and save millions of lives
Who is running the study?
In the UK, the study is being carried out by specialist medical and research staff at King’s College Hospital in South London and St Mary’s Hospital in West London. We are working in close partnership with the Center for HIV-AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), a global research programme working to further the development of an effective HIV vaccine.
Study overview
On rare occasions, people who have been exposed to the HIV virus seem to be protected from infection. Is this chance, or do their bodies have a natural ability to fight off the virus? We are conducting a study to investigate which it is. Our findings will contribute to a global research programme, which we hope will lead to the development of an effective HIV vaccine. This vaccine could save millions of lives and protect future generations.
Are you eligible to take part in the study?
If you and your partner can answer yes to the following questions, you may be able to participate in this important study.
• Are you in a relationship where one of you is HIV positive and the other is either HIV negative or untested?
• Have you been in this relationship for at least 10 months?
• Are you and your partner both willing to take part in this study?
• Are you both willing to give blood and urine samples?
What is involved?
All you would need to do is answer some questions about your relationship and then provide blood and urine samples. We will use this information and these samples to examine genetic and immune factors in the body. Participating in the study would involve you coming to visit us at King’s College Hospital on two or more occasions and at your initial consultation meeting the details of the study would be explained to you in full.
You will be reimbursed for your time and your travel. Contact usIf you think you are eligible for this study and would like to find out more about it, please call please call our team (Sara Okumu, Fatimah Karim, Mike Brady or Professor Philippa Easterbrook) at King’s College Hospital on 020 3299 3479 or email us at info-chavi@kch.nhs.uk.
Special notes:
All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence and that by contacting us for more information you are under no obligation to proceed. In fact, before you decide whether to join the study we would want you to fully understand why the research is being done and exactly what it will involve. We will encourage you to take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part. It is also important to be aware that if you decide not to take part in the study or to withdraw from it at any time, it will not affect your or your partner’s standard health care at this clinic or anywhere else
More about the study
Other issues we will also research:
The risk of becoming infected with HIV has been shown to vary with the type of sex you have, or through drug use, differences about the virus, or how often you may get exposed to HIV as well as genetic factors. The way the immune system works may also impact whether a person becomes infected with HIV. The immune system is your body’s ability to fight infection.On rare occasions some people who have been exposed to HIV seem to be protected from getting it. We would like to examine and investigate this further by looking at blood and other samples from both HIV positive and HIV negative people. The results of this study could help lead to the development of an effective HIV vaccine.
Related websites:
Center for HIV-AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI)
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
IMPORTANT : We do not under any circumstances support the continuation of unprotected sex for the purposes of this study.
April 2008
