Herpes Vaccination Trial

[queerbychoice]

According to this, at least one in every four American females over the age of twelve is infected with genital herpes, and that percentage is increasing. (That's a lot; I didn't remember that it was quite that high.) How would you like to get paid money to try an experimental vaccine for it? If all of the following apply to you, you can:

• you are an American woman (non-trans) between the ages of 18 and 30
• you can travel to any one of the numerous study sites throughout the U.S. and return for subsequent visits for the next 20 months
• you test negative for both HSV-1 (oral herpes) and HSV-2 (genital herpes) viruses at the initial screening visit
• you have not previously been vaccinated for Hepatitis A
• your immune system is not unusually compromised by disease or medication
• you are not pregnant or breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant in the next eight months

The vaccine does not contain live virus and cannot cause herpes infection. Plus, if you're in the control group, you get a free Hepatitis A vaccination. Learn more about the study here.

Comments

[inkstained.livejournal.com]

That's great Gayle, who isn't looking to be involved in a medical experiment where ya get injected with stuff? :p

-ink

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

As a potential alternative to being infected with painful diseases?

[brienf.livejournal.com]

My rectangular state isn't involved. :(

[donutgirl.livejournal.com]

I fit all the criteria, but monogamy puts me in a pretty low risk group. What would it really prove if I didn't get herpes? I think it would be cheating if they said I was proof it worked.

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

Well, they did say they ask everyone to fill out questionnaires on their sex lives, so they would at least know that your not getting infected didn't mean much. And the way I read this, it seems they'd still have to pay you despite your not giving them any useful information. Of course, there's always the question of how much money is enough to make getting stuck with needles worthwhile.

[donutgirl.livejournal.com]

I don't mind needles at all. Kind of like 'em, actually. Plus, I always need cash. Maybe I'll do it... thanks for the info.

[inkstained.livejournal.com]

Sure, but who wants to be a guinea pig for the latest thing to come out of the pharmaceuticals industry (arrgh too many hard to spell words so early in the morning)?

-ink

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

donutgirl does. Lots of people who need money badly enough partipate in medical studies for money on a regular basis. Other people who are just especially worried about preventing a particular disease will participate in anything that could potentially prevent that particular disease. The pharmaceutical industry does conduct research on animals before they decide that these things are safe enough to try on people.

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

You like needles????? O_O

I cannot believe that when I've been reading your journal for nearly three years, you have never before let slip such a shocking proof of your space alienness.

*suddenly remembers what planet I'm on and all the piercings and tattoos I'm surrounded by*

Oh wait . . . maybe it's me who's the space alien. That kind of turnaround happens to me a lot.

[donutgirl.livejournal.com]

I have no tatoos or piercings, not even my ears. But I used to give blood a lot, and I always thought it was kind of exciting. I've never understood why so many people are afraid of needles... Getting hit with a sledgehammer hurts a hell of a lot more. Needles you can barely feel.

By the way, if you had been reading very carefully over the past three years, you would have noticed this post (http://www.livejournal.com/users/donutgirl/32731.html)... ;)

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do vaguely remember that now that you mention it.

"It's a little tiny piece of sharp metal that barely hurts at all when it pricks you."

I see that you have fewer nerves in your skin than some of us. :p

[inkstained.livejournal.com]

That's reassuring :p I know some people do it, I just didn't realise it was common enough that it was something you'd want to advertise to your lj friends.


-ink

[donutgirl.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I cry like a baby when I stub my toe and stuff. Of course, some shots hurt more than others, but in general I suspect that most people's reaction is largely psychosomatic.

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

The nerves you hit when stubbibg your toe are deeper down. It would be more relevant to know whether you cry when getting paper cuts.