Sharing of contaminated needles among the participants in the control arm was the easiest way to contract HIV infection. A comprehensive HIV prevention package was to be offered among the Drug users. Other than use of clean needles and safe sex messages, there was need to provide clean needles and supply of condoms to the participants. There was a chance that some of those who seroconverted, contracted the virus through unprotected sex.Those who use drugs also have sex. It was un ethical for the research team and the Government to give ale way for the study participants to get infected as they watch.
Proper mapping was to be done at the initial stages to identify all the key stakeholders that were to be involved in the research processes, the government being one of them. There was need to in cooperate the Government guidelines and the protocol approaches and procedures. We can not address IDU in HIV Prevention strategy without considering use of clean needles.
The participants enrolled to Biomedical HIV Prevention trials should receive the highest standard of care because the GPP guidelines promises them to do so. Efforts should be made to offer the highest standard of care to the local community too, since the participants are later referred to the local community for care after the end of study period.
