IF YOU'RE NEGATIVE, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING POSITIVE!
Bareback Jack, Webmaster
Several years ago I had the opportunity of a lifetime. A friend in the healthcare industry told me about
a vaccine against HIV which was being researched and tested across the US. He asked if I would be
interested in being a part of this vaccine trial. Let me tell you, he didn't have to ask me twice. Before
you could say "Jack be nimble" I was signing up as a volunteer for what would be a three-and-
a-half year long experiment. And boy was I excited!
Of course, this meant getting over my fear of needles and my squeamishness at seeing blood (mine). But
I knew in my head and heart that the project I was signing up for was very important. And if it worked... if
the trial was successful and it could protect people from HIV, it would be awesome to be a part of
making it happen. And so for the better part of four years I became a test subject, gave up a whole
person worth of blood, let the facilitators inject me with "vaccine", and kept records of
any physical reactions to the injections.
Well, as it turns out, the vaccine wasn't as successful as hoped, and I was one of the 33% who received
placebo injections instead of vaccine. But "error" is the other half of "trial", and while the
vaccine only showed promising results to a smaller group of people than expected, the trial itself was a damn good
start. The information gleaned from that phase III trial can be used as medical researchers go back
to the drawing board in the ongoing effort to find the right elixir to protect us from HIV in its
varying mutations.
Would I do it again? Damn straight I would, the next time I am eligible. In the mean time several new
vaccines are in various stages of trial, and some research companies are now recruiting volunteers in
a number of cities across the US and around the world. If you would like to be involved in the process,
let me tell you a bit about how it works.
The first thing that most people want to know is if they will become infected with HIV as a result of
taking the vaccination. The answer is NO. However, if the vaccine is successful, the volunteers will
likely test positive for antibodies. This is because the goal of the vaccination's design is to fool
the human body into producing antibodies against HIV in such a quantity as to thwart the virus should
it get into one's system. This is because HIV reproduces faster than the body can recognize and make
fighter cells. By the time one tests positive for HIV the virus has already taken over.
In essence, the volunteer subject will become a false positive. He will be producing antibodies to
the vaccine, not to HIV itself. The vaccine won't destroy your immune system; it will trick it into
action.
The vaccine does this by its engineering. Scientists take certain proteins from the virus' coat and
replicate them so that no living matter from the virus is used. Think of it as a synthetic knock-off...
a sweater made of orlon that looks like the one made of wool. The body then has to think that this
knock-off is the real virus, recognize it as an attacker, and start assembling an army geared to
neutralizing and crushing the virus before it can do too much damage. Once the body knows how to make
these fighter cells it will be able to do it more efficiently the next time the threat of viral attack
arrives.
Once scientists figure out that part of the puzzle, they must then find out how long the body will
keep producing these fighter cells. Some vaccines work for a lifetime, some only a few months. Once
the question of "how long" is answered, the question of how frequently to administer booster
shots to keep the body protected can also be answered. Medical researchers need people to volunteer so
they may discover these answers.
Still, is it safe? Could something else happen? Well, before a clinical trial can be administered to
human beings, it must pass two phases of study and prove itself non-injurious. This does not mean
there will be no side effects. Nearly every drug on the market has some form of side-effect. You
see that in advertising every day. The drug that conquers depression can make your dick a wet noodle.
The pill that makes your wet noodle into a pillar of virility can make you see funny colors. The
antidote for acid reflux can give you diarrhea. Even placebo can create a reaction at the
injection site or give you a temporary fever. But these side effects are seemingly small in
comparison to what the vaccine could potentially do. Generally, researchers will know the most
likely side effects that will be associated with the vaccine before it gets put into a human. However
as with all drug research, other side effects that weren't expected can result.
Before you sign the papers for a medical trial, the known potentials will be disclosed to you. As
will be the period of time the trial will require. You will need to consider the consequences and weigh
these factors against your desire to be a volunteer. If you're cool with the whole program, then it's
almost a go. They will likely run a blood test on you to qualify your eligibility. If you're
negative and meet their other criteria, you're in... and on your way to (hopefully) assisting in
something historic.
If you would like to learn more about the process and how you can be a part of it, please visit the
HIV Vaccine Trial Network (HVTN) website. And remember, your
participation in one of the HIV vaccine trials can be the most selfless and far-reaching acts of
your life. The small sacrifice you make for this research may help finally end HIV.
If you would like to see where HIV vaccine trials are currently being held, please click here for our latest updates!
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