Will HIV Vaccine Advances Become Mired in Ethics and Risk-Group Refusals?

AIDS Statistics, Risky Behavior and HIV Antibodies

As recent medical breakthroughs propel the discovery of HIV vaccines into the realm of near future possibilities, AIDS statistics identify high-risk groups. Yet, will those engaging in risky behavior opt to receive an HIV vaccine? And what about ethics?

Scientists Discover HIV Antibodies

The much-awaited press release from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reveals that scientists have isolated human antibodies which - in the Petri dish laboratory environment - succeeded at preventing the infection of human cells with more than 90 percent of HIV strains.

Best off all, by being able to break down the process step-by-step, HIV vaccine research has taken a gigantic leap forward, since this points to a process that may be duplicated at will. Not surprisingly, Dr. Peter D. Kwong goes on record and states that "the discoveries we have made may overcome the limitations that have long stymied antibody-based HIV vaccine design."

HIV Vaccine Research and Its Ethical Implications

Of course, the devil is in the details, and the fact that the HIV vaccine trials have resulted in 90 percent effectiveness leaves a 10 percent failure rate to contend with. How does one test a vaccine that is designed to prevent the onset of a fatal disease in humans, when 10 percent of test subjects are likely to remain unprotected?

Citing alarming AIDS statistics, the Public Library of Science outlines that (worldwide) each year sees 5 million new HIV infections, as well as 3 million AIDS deaths. At this time, the emphasis on HIV vaccine research focuses on the African continent, and the barriers to participation - for women - are culturally held beliefs and practices. Although touching on the issue of informed consent, study advisors fail to explain how to encourage HIV vaccine trial participation in light of the likely failure rate.