Gay men were the first Americans to contract HIV in the early 1980's, and from there rumors developed and spread for years that it was a disease of and from gay men. While those myths have been dispelled in recent years, now men who sleep with men being given a chance to help find a vaccine for HIV through Vanderbilt University's HIV Vaccine Program.
For the past 21 years, scientists in Vanderbilt University's HIV Vaccine Program have been working toward stopping the spread of the global disease. Led by Kyle Rybczyk, FNP, RN, program coordinator, they are a part of an international network known as the HIV Vaccine Trials Network and their latest study, which opened late last month, is turning its focus to men who have sex with men (MSM) - a demographic that is disproportionately affected by the disease.
“The gay male demographic was the hardest hit in the very beginning," Rybczyk said. "It’s interesting that there is now an opportunity for men who aren’t infected with HIV to make an impact.”
| The 411 on HIV |
The study, called HVTN 505, is being conducted nationwide and will track 1,350 men for up to five years. Vanderbilt was the first site to enroll a participant in the study and must enroll a total of 100 MSM in the next few months.
“Part of the excitement for this study—for any field of research, really—is to get the first subject enrolled, because that really starts the momentum for all the sites, and Vanderbilt was the first site to get someone enrolled in the study, which surprised our entire network,” Rybsyck said. “We need lots of men to call in, this is not a small project for us, or for the network. It’s one of the biggest things we’ve done, which adds both excitement and challenge.”
The study requires little on the part of each participant. The first step is an education session to learn how the study works.
Rybczyk said a common question asked is whether or not it is possible to get HIV from the vaccine. The answer is 'no.'
“There’s no chance of getting infected from the vaccine," Rybczyk said. "In blood tests, we can absolutely tell the difference between whether you become HIV -infected or whether you have antibodies from the vaccine."
The initial appointment includes no commitment, no forms to be signed or blood drawn. The study policy precludes a potential participant from being educated and having their screening the same day.
“All potential participants go home and have to think about the commitment and what it means," Rybczyk said. "We don’t want anyone to enroll because they feel pressure. We’re not out to just fill the numbers, we’re out to better the world. So, it’s a very non-threatening, easy, one-on-one session to go over information about the trial."
After deciding to enroll, candidates are screened to ensure they meet the requirements for the study. If approved, they share their medical history and undergo a physical exam before receiving their first vaccination. From there, regular appointments are scheduled for blood draws and questionnaires, very similar to doctor’s appointments.
The HVTN 505 study requires most visits - about 12 to 15 - in the first twelve months. Afterwards, there is a long-term period of follow-up to gain data, with visits scheduled in three-month intervals for up to five years.
Rbyszyck said interested participants shouldn’t be swayed by the long-term commitment. Patient data can easily be transferred to another research cite, if the patient move to another cite city and would receive an NIAID card that provides direct access to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“We and the NIH have become very adept over the years at setting up tests for past participants who’ve moved to locations where there aren’t study sites who need to be HIV-tested,” Rybczyk said. “We don’t leave them hanging. We take care of our volunteers.”
Rybczyk said this isn't expected to be the study that stops the spread of HIV, but he said it is a vital step in reaching that goal.
“It’s a very exciting study, but we’re very frank about this - It won’t be the study that makes us say, ‘Yes! We’ve found it. We can now end HIV,’" Rybczyk said. “It is a step in the process, but it is the first major study that we’ve done solely in men who have sex with men, and we look forward to the data we can learn in that population."
Justin Waldner moved to Nashville about five years ago from South Dakota, and got involved in the gay community through the Smokey Mountain Rodeo Association. Through an ad in Out & About Newspaper, he learned of Vanderbilt's HIV Vaccine Trial and figured it was his duty to participate and do his part.
What was your counseling/education session like?
It was very informational, for sure, but the counselor made it very understandable. I never felt scared, worried, threatened at all, by the actual proceedings, so I felt very good.
What were one or two of the main reasons you decided to participate in this study?
I guess the main reason was that one of my exes ended up being HIV-positive through negligence. That was a big factor, that I felt, if I could do something to help this become less of an issue, that was my way of doing it. Second, I just think you just have to. If you can help anyone, in anyway, I just felt it was something I should do as part of the gay community, to give back.
What advice can you offer those interested or on the fence about participating or learning more about the study?
My advice would be to look inside themselves, and really see what is important to them, and their family and friends affected by HIV, and how important it is for us to eliminate it. It doesn’t hurt to just go check things out, it really does no negative harm to be educated, so you just need to look inside yourself and see what you can do for the community.
"This story and the HIV Vaccine program at Vanderbilt both hold a special place in my heart. As a part-time grad student at Vandy, I took a class in "Music and Global Health," taught by Professor Greg Barz. Much of his research studied how messages of prevention were spread through song, theatre and dance in Uganda, and that Uganda actually had a decreased rate of HIV infection as a result. The class really made me wonder what I could do in my own way to help. I had no money to give, nor did I have the means to take off and travel to Uganda. But, I could give of my time, and that's what I decided to do by volunteering in the HIV Vaccine study. If you're in a similar situation, consider this your way to make an impact on a global problem, right here in Nashville. -Kristin Keiper