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CHECK OUT CLINICAL TRIALS

 "Clinical trials" are medical studies that investigate experimental treatments for disease.  They can be a great way for you to get excellent medical care and lots of education about AIDS-related health issues, as well.  That education can, in turn, empower you to take excellent care of yourself and to make confident decisions about your health and healthcare.

Clinical trials may investigate new drugs or old drugs in new combinations.  They can compare the effects of different regimens of the same drug. They can investigate side effects, drug-to-drug interactions, and treatments for secondary (or opportunistic) infections.

Here are some useful things to remember about clinical trials:  They are time-limited.  Study drugs and procedures are often free of charge.  Study sites will often help with transportation costs.  You will probably be able to get records of all the information about your health that came out of the study labs and work-ups, free of charge.

Some things to make sure you  do when considering a clinical trial:   Make sure you understand what the study involves.  Ask lots of questions and take notes on the answers.  Take home the patient consent form and read it.  Discuss your thinking about the study with family, friends, and personal physician.  Be mindful of possible side effects  of the treatment.  And ask whether the treatment might be available after the study ends.

To find out about local clinical trials, call the U.W. AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at (206) 731-3184 or go to http://depts.washington.ed/actu/   For more information nationally, call 1-800-874-2572 or go to www.actis.org.