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Clinical trials
for HIV/AIDS research in the United States and around the world literally number in the thousands. A clinical trial is a process which involves patients with specific health conditions to participate in treatments so that data can be collected for evaluation. Clinical trials may involve drugs, devices, therapy protocols or diagnostics. Depending on the type of drug, or product, and the stage of its development, clinical trials enlist the help of volunteers, or patients, in small pilot studies. These studies are usually followed by larger scale studies that often compare the new product to currently prescribed medicines. Clinical trials often involve patients who receive benefits from medicines or treatments that would otherwise not be available to them. During the trial, study subjects generally remain on site for anywhere from one to thirty days, or longer. Sometimes staying onsite is not necessary. One of the major reasons for a clinical trial is to assess the effectiveness and safety of a new medication on a specific type of patient (in this case, one infected with HIV/AIDS.)
For a complete list of clinical trials that are recruiting volunteers, please visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AIDSinfo or call 1-800-448-0440.
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