Premium Essay

Placebo-Controlled Trials in Hiv Infected Women

In:

Submitted By jchowder
Words 752
Pages 4
Placebo-controlled trials on HIV-infected pregnant women in developing countries have provoked much controversy since the late 90s. The purpose of these experiments is to find a treatment that will reduce the rate of perinatal transmission of HIV more efficiently than the already existing treatments such as, zidovudine. However, the issue lies within the inclusion of a placebo group in these studies. In this debate, the Utilitarian defense argued that most of the HIV-infected pregnant women in these countries would not be able to afford any forms of treatment against the transmission outside of these trials. The subjects are treated according to the standard of care in these countries (Lurie and Wolfe 855). Therefore, the women in the experiment are essentially in a ‘no-loss’ situation. They have a 50 percent chance of ending up in the placebo group, in which they are no worse off than they would be anyway, and a 50 percent chance of being placed in the experimental group, in which they would have an alternate chance of protecting their unborn fetus (Williams 559). Opponents of these trials defended that this argument suffers from a number of flaws. The ‘no loss’ defense gains its credibility from their claim that the personal utility of the volunteers is not reduced in any way. However, it disregards the fact that the participants start from a position of inequality. Even if the treatment is proven to reduce the transmission of HIV, that treatment will most likely not be affordable to the poor women of these countries. Also, according to the international human subjects research guidelines, it is a requirement that every patient/participant should receive the best medical care that is available. Therefore, the use of a placebo group should be prohibited based on those guidelines. Researchers are ultimately responsible for all subjects that are enrolled in a trial,

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Debate on the Ethics of Aids

... ii. Present facts in an outline format. iii. Describe the pros and cons of the issue including an analysis. iv. Follow APA 6th formatting. II. Literature Review A. Review of the key articles on this topic (5 per team member). i. HIV/AIDS- Ethical/Legal Issues (Arora & Arora, 2009). This article … ii. AIDS Vaccines and Reproductive Immunology (Bourinbaiar, Jirathitikal, Silin, Nian-Qing & Abulafia-Lapid, 2007). This article… iii. Correlates of negative intent to receive an AIDS vaccine: an exploratory study (Crosby, Holtgrave, Bryant, & Frew, 2004). iv. AIDS Care (AIDS CARE), Dhalla S; Nelson KE; Singer J; Poole G. (2009). This article describe how developing an HIV vaccines may contribute to participants better follow-ups and may improve the patient’s knowledge and education regarding HIV/AIDS. v. Development of an AIDS vaccine: perspective from the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative. British Medical Journal. This Article mentioned that HIV continues to be the worst infectious disease that is affecting humanity. Other infectious diseases are eradicated or under controlled by vaccination. They also mentioned that a vaccine is the most effective and efficient intervention available for preventing infectious...

Words: 1963 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Cures for Hiv

...What are scientists doing to solve of the problem of HIV? What are scientists doing to solve of the problem of HIV? By Prerana Bhandari St Olaves Grammar School By Prerana Bhandari St Olaves Grammar School Image taken from: http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/hiv_virus.jpg This human T cell (blue) is under attack by HIV (yellow), the virus that causes AIDS. Image taken from: http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/hiv_virus.jpg This human T cell (blue) is under attack by HIV (yellow), the virus that causes AIDS. Page Number: 3 6 8 9 Page Number: 3 6 8 9 Contents: 1. Biological Problem 2. Pathology 3. Solutions for HIV: 4. 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 8 9 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 8 9 Main Solution: Stribild or Quad study 102 and 103: 5. Evaluation of Stribild: Are the processes and methods appropriate for producing valid and reliable data and effective solutions? 6. How Stribild works 7. Limitations of Stribild 8. Benefits and Risks of Stribild to humans 9. Alternate solutions 10. Conclusion 11. References 12. Evaluation of sources What are scientists doing to solve of the problem of HIV? Biological Problem: HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus which attacks the immune system, and weakens your ability to fight infections and disease and the final stage of HIV; AIDS (acquired immune deficiency) is when your body can...

Words: 9575 - Pages: 39

Free Essay

Tuskagee Study

...Elizabeth Reynolds Writing 5 Essay One Assignment: The Tuskegee Study Free at Last: the Center for Disease Control Ends and Ethical Research Practices Begin During the forty year Tuskegee Study, the government overstepped its duties and infringed on innocent African American lives. Researchers in Macon County, Alabama started this study in 1932 in order to examine the effects of untreated syphilis in African American men. The study began with 399 subjects with the disease and 201 without it; by the time the research was halted in 1972, over one hundred of the men had died (Jones 2). One government organization involved in this experimentation acted particularly irrationally: the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC knew exactly what was going on with the Tuskegee Experiment and understood that the subjects were being denied treatment. However, the CDC never questioned the morality of their experiment. Furthermore, the director at the time, Dr. David Sencer, was an advocate for continuing the research. Even when Dr. Irwin J. Schatz, staff member of the Henry Ford Hospital, first sent his letter to the CDC objecting to the Tuskegee study in 1964, Dr. Sencer allowed the CDC to set the letter aside and pretend it did not exist. When another opponent of the study, Peter Buxton, started his 1965 investigation of the study, Sencer’s first concern was not that the CDC was acting unethically, but that the CDC would get bad press (Jones 190). Clearly the CDC was not actually...

Words: 2282 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Statistic

...Applied Statistical Methods Larry Winner Department of Statistics University of Florida February 23, 2009 2 Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Populations and Samples . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Types of Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2.1 Quantitative vs Qualitative Variables 1.2.2 Dependent vs Independent Variables . 1.3 Parameters and Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 Graphical Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Basic Probability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5.1 Diagnostic Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6 Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7 8 8 9 10 12 16 20 21 25 25 29 29 29 32 32 32 32 32 35 35 37 38 38 39 40 42 42 44 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Random Variables and Probability Distributions 2.1 The Normal Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1.1 Statistical Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem 2.2.1 Distribution of Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Other Commonly Used Sampling Distributions . . . . . 2.3.1 Student’s...

Words: 66826 - Pages: 268

Premium Essay

Epidemiology

...Epidemiology Question 1 1. Case control studies are designed in such a way so as to explore whether exposure can be associated with a particular outcome, such as a disease or certain condition. In these studies, the definition groups are based on the outcome and exposure assessment for potential risk factors. The first step in case control studies is the identification of the case (for example a group of people known to have the certain condition), as well as the control group ( a group that does not have the outcome). The second step is to explore whether some of the subjects in each group were exposed, and how the frequency of the exposure is measured between the case and the control group. Case control studies are basically observational, because there is no intervention taking place, and is a retrospective determination of the exposure to a certain risk factor. Advantages of case control studies • Case control studies are relatively less time consuming, since the disease has occurred in the past, therefore there is no need to assess the disease or condition. • They are an efficient way to study rare cases and diseases or outbreaks of diseases, since they are fast; during an outbreak, the fast examination of certain conditions is required, and a sufficient number of people suffering can be quickly accessed. • They allow a simultaneous examination of multiple conditions and risk factors • Allow the establishment of associations between suspected risk...

Words: 3862 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple

...distinction between ophthalmology, pediatrics, trauma surgery, or geriatric medicine. As a physician you will be faced daily with the concepts of microbial disease and antimicrobial therapy. Microbiology is one of the few courses where much of the "minutia" is regularly used by the practicing physician. This book attempts to facilitate the learning of microbiology by presenting the information in a clear and entertaining manner brimming with memory aids. Our approach has been to: 4) Create a conceptual, organized approach to the organisms studied so the student relies less on memory and more on logical pathophysiology. The text has been updated to include current information on rapidly developing topics, such as HIV and AIDS (vaccine efforts and all the new anti-HIV medications), Ebola virus, Hantavirus, E. coli outbreaks, Mad Cow Disease, and brand-new antimicrobial antibiotics. The mnemonics and cartoons in this book do not intend disrespect for any particular patient population or racial or ethnic group but are solely presented as memory devices to assist in the learning of a complex and important medical subject. We welcome suggestions for future editions. 1) Write in a conversational style for rapid assimilation. 2) Include numerous figures serving as "visual memory tools" and summary charts at the end of each chapter. These can be used for "cram sessions" after the concepts have been studied in the text. 3) Concentrate more on clinical and infectious disease issues that...

Words: 117402 - Pages: 470

Premium Essay

Tuberculosis

...Strategies for Tuberculosis Control from Experiences in Manila: The Role of Public-Private Collaboration and of Intermittent Therapy INAUGURALDISSERTATION zur Erlangung der Würde eines Doktors der Philosophie vorgelegt der Philosophisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Basel von Christian Auer aus Bottmingen (BL) Basel, Mai 2003 Genehmigt von der Philosophisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Basel auf Antrag von Herrn Prof. Dr. Marcel Tanner und Herrn Professor Dr. Klaus M. Leisinger Basel, den 6. Mai 2003 Prof. Dr. Marcel Tanner Dekan DEDICATION In memory of Aling Tess and Mang Tony, former neighbours of mine, victims of tuberculosis, the unrestrained killer that terminates daily the lives of 5000 people. With the sincere hope and plea that some findings and thoughts of this dissertation will contribute to reducing tuberculosis and poverty. “The appalling global burden of tuberculosis at the turn of the millennium, despite the availability of effective control measures, is a blot on the conscience of humankind. For developing countries, the situation has become desperate and the "cursed duet" of tuberculosis and AIDS is having a devastating impact on large sections of the global community. The vital question is, can despair be turned to hope early in the next millennium?” John Grange and Almuddin Zumla, 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Summary Zusammenfassung Abbreviations i iii vii...

Words: 23795 - Pages: 96

Premium Essay

Review of Related Literture

...REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES (RRL) Literature About the Malunggay Leaves Extract Against Staphylococcus Aureus Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria that can cause a number of diseases as a result of infection of various tissues of the body. Staphylococcus is more familiarly known as Staph (pronounced "staff"). Staph-related illness can range from mild and requiring no treatment to severe and potentially fatal. The name Staphylococcus comes from the Greek staphyle, meaning a bunch of grapes, andkokkos, meaning berry, and that is what Staph bacteria look like under the microscope, like a bunch of grapes or little round berries. (In technical terms, these are gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, usually unencapsulated cocci.) Over 30 different types of Staphylococci can infect humans, but most infections are caused byStaphylococcus aureus. Staphylococci can be found normally in the nose and on the skin (and less commonly in other locations) of 25%-30% of healthy adults. In the majority of cases, the bacteria do not cause disease. However, damage to the skin or other injury may allow the bacteria to overcome the natural protective mechanisms of the body, leading to infection. And one of the cures for staphylococcus aureus is vitamin c which is found in malunggay. Called "Malunggay" in the Philippines, "Sajina" in the Indian Subcontinent, and "Moringa" in English, it is a popular tree. Many Asians use the leaves of Malunggay (Sajina) like spinach and also the fruit...

Words: 12372 - Pages: 50

Premium Essay

Malunggay

...Moringa oleifera: A Review of the Medical Evidence for Its Nutritional, Therapeutic, and Prophylactic Properties. Part 1. Jed W. Fahey, S c.D. PEER REVIEWED Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Lewis B. and Dorothy C ullman C ancer C hemoprotection C enter, 725 N. Wolfe Street, 406 WBSB, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21205-2185 Email: jfahey@jhmi.edu Trees for Life Journal 2005, 1:5 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.tfljournal.org/article.php/20051201124931586 Receiv ed: September 15, 2005; Accepted: November 20, 2005; Published: December 1, 2005 Copyright: ©2005 Jed W. Fahey This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the C reative C ommons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Moringa appears to be a nutritional and medicinal cornucopia. The author, a Western-trained nutritional biochemist who has studied some of Moringa’s phytochemicals for almost a decade, gives a brief commentary and extensive references, and presents a table introducing some of the tree’s most intriguing features. This is the first article in a series, and will be followed by more detailed analysis of some of the strongest claims made regarding this edible plant. Vie Art Abstract Moringa oleifera, or the horseradish tree, is a pan-tropical species...

Words: 10491 - Pages: 42

Premium Essay

Doctor

...Courtesy of L E K A R SPECIAL EDITION Authors: Marino, Paul L. Title: ICU Book, The, 3rd Edition Copyright ©2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins ISBN: 0-7817-4802-X Authors Dedication Quote Preface to Third Edition Preface to First Edition Acknowledgments Table of Contents Section I - Basic Science Review Basic Science Review Chapter 1 - Circulatory Blood Flow Chapter 2 - Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Transport Section II - Preventive Practices in the Critically Ill Preventive Practices in the Critically Ill Chapter 3 - Infection Control in the ICU Chapter 4 - Alimentary Prophylaxis Chapter 5 - Venous Thromboembolism Section III - Vascular Access Vascular Access Chapter 6 - Establishing Venous Access Chapter 7 - The Indwelling Vascular Catheter Section IV - Hemodynamic Monitoring Hemodynamic Monitoring Chapter 8 - Arterial Blood Pressure Chapter 9 - The Pulmonary Artery Catheter Chapter 10 - Central Venous Pressure and Wedge Pressure Chapter 11 - Tissue Oxygenation Section V - Disorders of Circulatory Flow Disorders of Circulatory Flow Chapter 12 - Hemorrhage and Hypovolemia Chapter 13 - Colloid and Crystalloid Resuscitation Chapter 14 - Acute Heart Failure Syndromes Chapter 15 - Cardiac Arrest Chapter 16 - Hemodynamic Drug Infusions Section VI - Critical Care Cardiology Critical Care Cardiology Chapter 17 - Early Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes Chapter 18 - Tachyarrhythmias Section VII - Acute Respiratory Failure Acute Respiratory Failure Chapter 19 - Hypoxemia...

Words: 91543 - Pages: 367

Premium Essay

The Social

...animal Books by Elliot Aronson Theories of Cognitive Consistency (with R. Abelson et al.), 1968 Voices of Modern Psychology, 1969 The Social Animal, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2004; (with J. Aronson), 2008 Readings About the Social Animal, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2004; (with J. Aronson), 2008 Social Psychology (with R. Helmreich), 1973 Research Methods in Social Psychology (with J. M. Carlsmith & P. Ellsworth), 1976 The Jigsaw Classroom (with C. Stephan et al.), 1978 Burnout: From Tedium to Personal Growth (with A. Pines & D. Kafry), 1981 Energy Use: The Human Dimension (with P. C. Stern), 1984 The Handbook of Social Psychology (with G. Lindzey), 3rd ed., 1985 Career Burnout (with A. Pines), 1988 Methods of Research in Social Psychology (with P. Ellsworth, J. M. Carlsmith, & M. H. Gonzales), 1990 Age of Propaganda (with A. R. Pratkanis), 1992, 2000 Social Psychology, Vols. 1–3 (with A. R. Pratkanis), 1992 Social Psychology: The Heart and the Mind (with T. D. Wilson & R. M. Akert), 1994 Cooperation in the Classroom: The Jigsaw Method (with S. Patnoe), 1997 Nobody Left to Hate: Teaching Compassion After Columbine, 2000 Social Psychology: An Introduction (with T. D. Wilson & R. M. Akert), 2002, 2005, 2007 The Adventures of Ruthie and a Little Boy Named Grandpa (with R. Aronson), 2006 Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) (with C. Tavris), 2007 Books by Joshua Aronson Improving Academic Achievement, 2002 The Social Animal To...

Words: 208005 - Pages: 833

Premium Essay

Healthy Relationship

...1 HLTH 21: Health Education Spring 2012 Course Orientation This course is all about what YOU want and need to know about personal, family, and community health with an emphasis on epidemiology of disease, nutritional behavior, communicable disease, disease prevention, mental health, and substance abuse. It's really up to you to decide how much you want to get out of this course in terms of meeting your personal and professional goals. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students should be able to: Assess health behavior choices, apply that information to everyday life for the improvement of individual, family, and community well-being. Identify preconceived ideas about knowledge, values, and behavior that affect health and compare with established research and accepted scientific evidence. How to be Successful in this Course Plan to spend at least 9 hours per week on this course. Login and keep up with readings, discussions, and quizzes on a weekly basis. Click on Course Map and get familiar with it. First, introduce yourself in the Discussion Forum. Before you begin with the Module readings, take some time to get to know your classmates. Click on the Discussion and Private Messages link to the left of your screen. Click on Discussion Forum titled: Introductions Post a message to tell us a little bit about yourself such as your major, degree plans, career goals, hobbies/interests, and why you are taking this course. Read your...

Words: 26857 - Pages: 108

Premium Essay

Critical Thinking

...fourth EDItION fourth EDItION This clear, learner-friendly text helps today’s students bridge the gap between Its comprehensiveness allows instructors to tailor the material to their individual teaching styles, resulting in an exceptionally versatile text. Highlights of the Fourth Edition: Additional readings and essays in a new Appendix as well as in Chapters 7 and 8 nearly double the number of readings available for critical analysis and classroom discussion. An online chapter, available on the instructor portion of the book’s Web site, addresses critical reading, a vital skill for success in college and beyond. Visit www.mhhe.com/bassham4e for a wealth of additional student and instructor resources. Bassham I Irwin Nardone I Wallace New and updated exercises and examples throughout the text allow students to practice and apply what they learn. MD DALIM #1062017 12/13/09 CYAN MAG YELO BLK Chapter 12 features an expanded and reorganized discussion of evaluating Internet sources. Critical Thinking thinking, using real-world examples and a proven step-by-step approach. A student ' s Introduction A student's Introduction everyday culture and critical thinking. It covers all the basics of critical Critical Thinking Ba ssha m I Irwin I Nardone I Wall ace CRITICAL THINKING A STUDENT’S INTRODUCTION FOURTH EDITION Gregory Bassham William Irwin Henry Nardone James M. Wallace King’s College TM bas07437_fm_i-xvi.indd i 11/24/09 9:53:56 AM TM Published by McGraw-Hill...

Words: 246535 - Pages: 987

Premium Essay

Marketing

...fourth EDItION Critical Thinking A student ' s Introduction Ba ssha m I I rwi n I N ardon e I Wal l ac e CRITICAL THINKING A STUDENT’S INTRODUCTION FOURTH EDITION Gregory Bassham William Irwin Henry Nardone James M. Wallace King’s College TM TM Published by McGraw-Hill, an imprint of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Copyright © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. This book is printed on acid-free paper. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOC/DOC 0 ISBN: 978-0-07-340743-2 MHID: 0-07-340743-7 Vice President, Editorial: Michael Ryan Director, Editorial: Beth Mejia Sponsoring Editor: Mark Georgiev Marketing Manager: Pam Cooper Managing Editor: Nicole Bridge Developmental Editor: Phil Butcher Project Manager: Lindsay Burt Manuscript Editor: Maura P. Brown Design Manager: Margarite Reynolds Cover Designer: Laurie Entringer Production Supervisor: Louis Swaim Composition: 11/12.5 Bembo by MPS Limited, A Macmillan Company Printing: 45# New Era Matte, R. R. Donnelley & Sons Cover Image: © Brand X/JupiterImages Credits: The credits section for this book begins on page C-1 and is considered...

Words: 240232 - Pages: 961

Free Essay

Translating Reference

...the legislation adopted, prescribing or delivering terminal medication. Medicine shares this gate-keeping role with the law, which serves a regulating and restraining function, providing safeguards for both doctors and individuals. The many safeguards required in most versions of euthanasia legislation, covering issues such as the meaning of terminal illness and suffering, the patient's decision-making capacity, the interpretation of intention and coercion, the availability of alternative relief, the responsibilities of medical professionals and provision for scrutiny of doctors' decisions, underline the complexity of the issue. A strong view put forward by antieuthanasia advocates is that the very soul of medicine is placed on trial by euthanasia and that doing harm to medicine would also harm society. This argument is based on the position of trust doctors have in society. Allowing doctors to intentionally inflict death is regarded as fundamentally undermining that trust. A distinguishing characteristic of euthanasia as a public policy problem is its moral dimension. It goes to the fundamental principles on which society is based and challenges...

Words: 15962 - Pages: 64