ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

Developing an HIV Vaccine

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(NAPS)—African-American and Latino communities are playing an important role in slowing the spread of HIV and AIDS. In addition to serving as doctors, researchers, and educators, many in these communities have helped by volunteering for clinical trials geared toward developing a preventative vaccine for the disease.

The trials, which pose no risk to participants, are still going on and need many more volunteers. Doctors say it is especially important that African-Americans and Latinos participate to ensure that any vaccine that is eventually developed will be effective in treating everyone.

"HIV and AIDS infects almost 40 million people worldwide, and in the United States, 40,000 people contract HIV each year," said James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth, a national, nonprofit organization that creates programs and supports policies that help young people make safe, responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. "Half of these new infections occur among young people under the age of 25—and the majority of these young people are African-American or Latino."

The National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health runs a number of programs meant to teach people about the importance of participating in trials. If you are interested in volunteering, call 1-800-448- 0440, or visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/hivvaccine.htm.

"Thousands of clinical volunteers, scientists, and health professionals are working hard to find an effective HIV vaccine, but the vision will only be realized by years of research and community involvement," says Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of NIAID. "Volunteers are urgently needed from the Latino or African-American community, especially young women and young men who have sex with men."

Doctors working toward an HIV/AIDS preventative vaccine say their ultimate goal is to develop a substance that "teaches" the body's immune system to recognize and protect itself against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Ideally, the vaccine would be given to uninfected people and would keep them from become infected.

Even if people can't volunteer, doctors say it's still a good idea for them to learn about the importance of HIV vaccine research. To learn more about this issue or others related to sexual and reproductive health, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org.