| Title | Informed recruitment in partner studies of HIV transmission: an ethical issue in couples research. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2009 |
| Authors | McNutt, Louise-Anne, Elisa J. Gordon, and Anneli Uusküla |
| Journal | BMC medical ethics |
| Volume | 10 |
| Pagination | 14 |
| Date Published | 2009 |
| ISSN | 1472-6939 |
| Keywords | Adolescent, Adult, Confidentiality, Cultural Characteristics, Decision Making, Estonia, Europe, Eastern, Female, Harm Reduction, HIV Infections, Humans, Incidence, Informed Consent, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Selection, Reproducibility of Results, Risk-Taking, Sexual Partners, Substance Abuse, Intravenous, Truth Disclosure, Vulnerable Populations, Young Adult |
| Abstract | Much attention has been devoted to ethical issues related to randomized controlled trials for HIV treatment and prevention. However, there has been less discussion of ethical issues surrounding families involved in observational studies of HIV transmission. This paper describes the process of ethical deliberation about how best to obtain informed consent from sex partners of injection drug users (IDUs) tested for HIV, within a recent HIV study in Eastern Europe. The study aimed to assess the amount of HIV serodiscordance among IDUs and their sexual partners, identify barriers to harm reduction, and explore ways to optimize intervention programs. Including IDUs, either HIV-positive or at high risk for HIV, and their sexual partners would help to gain a more complete understanding of barriers to and opportunities for intervention. |
| DOI | 10.1186/1472-6939-10-14 |
| Alternate Journal | BMC Med Ethics |
