Abstract

The expectations of the eventual outcomes of HIV cure research potentially differ between investigators and people living with HIV (PLHIV) [1]. Understanding expectations and experiences of PLHIV participating in ‘cure-focused’ clinical trials, particularly the risks of participation, will improve the design of future studies and the process of informed consent. This is particularly important as intervention studies do not deliver immediate clinical benefit, so participant involvement is often altruistic [2], and current studies are also not intended to cure or eradicate HIV; so they are subject to the ‘curative misconception’ [3]. It is therefore critical that investigators leading cure-related trials become aware of the information that participants may need and what participants perceive as acceptable risks [4]. In this study, we surveyed participants to understand their experiences of a cure-focused clinical trial and their general expectations of this field of research.

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