Socio-behavioural group of the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative ( and )


The South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) was established to co-ordinate the research, development and testing of HIV/AIDS vaccines in South Africa. The Socio-behavioural group within SAAVI was formed in order to coordinate all SAAVI-funded socio-behavioural activities, provide a methodologically sound framework for socio-behavioural research as part of HIV vaccine trials in South Africa, and strengthen capacity building for socio-behavioural research around the development of an HIV vaccine.

The issues that will be studied by the SAAVI socio-behavioural group include how best to retain participants in a research trial over the course of the trial, monitoring sexual risk behaviour of participants, examining the factors that predict willingness of people to participate in an HIV vaccine trial, and understanding social harms associated with being enrolled in a research trial, such as stigma and discrimination that participants might face. Prof. Leslie Swartz is the principal investigator of this study.

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