Reasons for Reluctance

While scientists continue to search for an HIV vaccine, an important part of the research process continues to be enormously challenging'finding people to participate in vaccine trials. Now scientists at the University of Toronto have pinpointed some of the common reasons for the reluctance to sign on to HIV vaccine studies: > Fear that a vaccine would result in a false-positive HIV antibody test; > Concern that health and life insurance companies would drop participants or deny enrollment to those with false-positive test results; > Fear that a false-positive test could result in being denied entry into some countries that ban HIVers, including the United States; > Worries about possible vaccine side effects; > Reluctance to commit to a study that can last for years; and > Unhappiness with inadequate compensation for participation.