Factors related to the willingness of young gay men to participate in preventive HIV vaccine trials

Abstract

Given their high seroincidence, young gay men will be targeted for recruitment into HIV vaccine trials but many challenges stand in the way of enlisting their cooperation. This study examined factors associated with young gay men's willingness to participate in vaccine trials and identified reasons for agreeing or not agreeing to participate. The data come from the Young Men's Survey, a cohort of western U.S. young gay men aged 18 to 29 years, surveyed using mail-back questionnaires. Participants who reported being HIV-negative or who had not been tested for HIV (n = 390) were asked to rate their desire to be given an HIV vaccine and their degree of willingness to participate in a vaccine trial. They also responded to open-ended questions regarding their reasons for participating or not participating. Of these respondents, 91% wanted to be given an HIV vaccine, yet many had serious reservations about participating in a vaccine trial. Men who had engaged in HIV risk behavior reported greater willingness to participate. The most common reasons for wanting to participate were desires to contribute to ending the AIDS epidemic and desire to help others; however, fears for one's own health and safety made many reluctant to participate.