Give Back To Your Community While Taking Sexual Risk

[rawTOP]

We hardcore barebackers take risks other people aren't comfortable with, here's your chance to do some good for the community while taking that risk… There's a Phase IIB HIV vaccine trial going on right now that needs volunteers. It's called The AMP Study (aka HTVN 704 / HPTN 085). One third of the people are getting a high dose of the vaccine, one third a low dose, and one third a placebo. They've done basic safety tests, so the goal of the study is to see if it's safe in a broader group of people, and to determine what dosage of the vaccine works (if any). There is substantial risk in this study. There's at least a 1/3rd chance you'll have zero protection. And there's a chance the low dosing won't work, and possibly even the high dosing won't work. I doubt they want people who are on PrEP, since that would mess with their results, but I haven't confirmed that yet.

If you're in the study you'll get an IV drip for 30-60 minutes every two months. And I'm guessing you'll need to keep a record of all your sexual contacts so they know how much risk you take. And that's why guys who take risks are perfect candidates. The more risk the study participants take, the more definitive the results of the study. So you'll literally be giving back to your community while you're ass up in the bathhouse taking loads (and not just to the tops who breed you).

If you're in NYC, and you're interested, click here for an online survey to see if you're eligible and indicate your interest. Outside NYC, contact your local HIV research center to see if they're participating in the trial. They're looking for 2,700 participants, so research centers all over are participating in the study.

[fskn]

The AMP Study definitely welcomes people who use PrEP in the US, and it includes a patient access program (free Truvada from a mail-order pharmacy, without regard to income, insurance, etc.) for enrolled participants who would like to use PrEP.

Allowing PrEP for US study participants is an ethical issue. Medical researchers rarely expect people to accept less than the standard of care (what is approved and generally available, in a given country).

There are enough participants who don't elect PrEP, or who don't use it reliably, that statistical findings about the efficacy of the antibody product in the study can still be made.

The AMP Study is still enrolling in San Francisco, and there are a number of other interesting studies as well.

[Guest]

I would add also probably people like myself who participated in prior HVTN vaccine trials are likely ineligible.