Ethical and Legal Issues in AIDS Research

AIDS research has become an important topic in the fields of immunology, epidemiology and related medical and public health disciplines. Despite significant breakthroughs, the disease continues to increase in prevalence geometrically. It is clear that the problem of AIDS - and the need for AIDS research - will be with us for some time. This text addresses the difficult ethical and legal issues of conducting psychosocial research on AIDS. Because the disease has primarily affected groups that are discriminated against or are engaged in illegal activities, people with HIV infections may be reluctant to seek treatment and counselling or to participate in research projects. The authors describe the need to handle the cases and records of participants with extreme care and discuss the broader implications for the conduct of socially sensitive research. Topics inlcude the epidemiology of AIDS and psychosocial reactions to it, the risks and benefits of doing research on AIDS, the problem of preserving confidentiality, legal protection for research participants, informed consent and "debriefing" and the balance between individual privacy and public health.