Information for Participants - English

Information for Participants

Who is carrying out this study?

This study is being funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is working together with John Snow, Inc. (JSI), a public health consulting company located in Boston, Massachusetts, and with [insert local site name here].

The Principal Investigators (study leaders) at JSI are Dr. Jeremy Holman, PhD, and Dr. Matthew Mimiaga, ScD.

What is the purpose of this study?

The purpose of this study is to try out short health messages about HIV among black and Latino men who have sex with men. We want to hear your ideas about these messages. This will help CDC develop better health information messages for black and Latino men who have sex with men.

What happens in this study?

If you decide to be in this study, you will be in a group discussion or be interviewed by someone from the study. This will take about one-and-a-half to two hours. You will also be asked to read some HIV health messages and answer questions about them. The session will be recorded, so that it can be reviewed later. There will also be people taking notes. Your name will not be connected to the recording or to the notes. At the end of the study, both the recording and the notes will be destroyed.

At the end of the discussion group or interview, you may get information about other services at [insert local site name]. Using any of those services is up to you, and is not part of this study.

What is the risk of being in this study?

There are few risks. You will be asked questions about sex and drugs. Some of these questions may make you feel uncomfortable. You can choose not to answer any question. All of your answers will be kept private.

What are the benefits of being in this study?

There is no direct benefit to you. Yet, the answers you give today will help CDC better understand how to create health information messages that will be useful to people like you.

Will I be paid for my time?

If you take part in a discussion group or interview, you will receive a $50 gift card to [insert local merchant] as a thank you for your time and travel.

How will my information be kept private?

The information you tell us during the discussion or interview is anonymous, meaning it cannot be linked to you. Your name will not be used. CDC and JSI will not know who you are. Your answers will be grouped with answers from other people in the study. All information will be kept on a computer that is protected by coded passwords and stored in a locked room. Any contact information you gave to [insert local site name] to schedule today’s appointment has been kept on a different computer, and will not be connected to what you say in the discussion group or interview. Your contact information will not be given to anyone at CDC or JSI, and will be destroyed at the end of this study.

If you choose to get other services at [insert local site name], any information you share to get those services will not be linked with what you say in the discussion group or interview. The study team will only count how many men get these services after hearing about them in the study.

There is a rare exception to this privacy statement. The law says that the study team must tell local authorities if: (1) a person says that he intends to harm himself or others, (2) an elderly person or dependent adult is being physically or sexually abused, or (3) someone under age 18 is being physically or sexually abused. This includes consenting sexual contact with an adult if the person is 17 in Illinois, 18 in Florida, or 17 in Missouri (16 in Kansas). [Include only the relevant state for each site.]

Who should I call if I have questions?

This study is directed by Jeremy Holman, PhD, Senior Consultant for HIV/AIDS at JSI. You may call him at (617) 482‐9485 if you have questions about this study. If you have questions about your rights as a participant or if you feel you have been harmed, call Dr. Laurie Kunches, PhD, Chair of JSI Institutional Review Board at (617) 482-9485.

Can I refuse to be part of the study?

Being in the study is up to you. You can say no now, or leave the study at any time later. You can refuse to answer any question. Your decision to be in the study or not won’t affect your care or services at [insert local site name].

How do I agree to be in the study?

Scheduling an appointment for and taking part in the discussion group or interview means that you have agreed to be in this study.