Abstract
BackgroundDuring the Microbicides Development Program (MDP) 301, a clinical trial of a candidate microbicide amongst women in Johannesburg, South Africa, we used community radio to promote awareness of the trial, to inform community members about specific medical research procedures and terminologies, and to stimulate dialogue between researchers and local citizens.MethodsWe used mixed methods to undertake a retrospective analysis of the social responses to the radio shows, focusing specifically on recruitment and participation in the MDP301 trial. We collected quantitative data that describes the themes and listener responses, the costs per broadcast, and the impact of the radio broadcasts on trial recruitment. Qualitative data on local reactions to the shows was gleaned from in-depth interviews with trial participants.ResultsOver a seven-year period, 205 individual broadcasts were made on two separate community radio stations. Show themes were either specifically related to medical research issues (36%), or focused on general health issues (46%), and sexual and reproductive health, including HIV prevention (18%). 403 listeners made telephone calls to the radio station, and 12% of women enrolled as participants in MDP301 (n = 9, 385) reported that they had first heard about the trial from the radio. Qualitative interviews (n = 401) with female MDP301 participants highlighted the effects of the radio shows in making women aware of the trial, impressing them with the importance of health screening and knowledge, legitimizing trial participation, and stimulating dialogue between trial participants and their male partners.ConclusionsCommunity radio is a potent tool for raising awareness and local knowledge about medical research and, in addition to other methodologies, can be used to promote recruitment into clinical trials. We suggest that future HIV prevention trials consider an investment in community radio beyond recruitment advertisements that incorporates this into the broader community engagement plan as a key element of Good Participatory Practice in clinical trial settings.
Highlights
During the Microbicides Development Program (MDP) 301, a clinical trial of a candidate microbicide amongst women in Johannesburg, South Africa, we used community radio to promote awareness of the trial, to inform community members about specific medical research procedures and terminologies, and to stimulate dialogue between researchers and local citizens
The guidelines stress the need for effective community engagement throughout the life of an Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention trial, and describe optimal practices to follow when designing and implementing research
In this paper we describe a weekly community radio show, Tshireletso Health Talk (THT), initiated by the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), a South African research institute, as an additional and complementary community engagement mechanism for HIV prevention trials
Summary
During the Microbicides Development Program (MDP) 301, a clinical trial of a candidate microbicide amongst women in Johannesburg, South Africa, we used community radio to promote awareness of the trial, to inform community members about specific medical research procedures and terminologies, and to stimulate dialogue between researchers and local citizens. For the past two decades, several trials of innovative biomedical HIV prevention technologies, such as intra-vaginal microbicide gels, have been undertaken. These studies involve thousands of participants drawn from communities that may or may not be familiar with medical research [1]. The guidelines stress the need for effective community engagement throughout the life of an HIV prevention trial, and describe optimal practices to follow when designing and implementing research. The guidelines recommend that ‘effective stakeholder education is key to building research literacy, and empowering community stakeholders as decision-making agents’ [3]. By building research literacy and educating stakeholders about HIV and HIV prevention, it is anticipated that the relationships between researchers and trial participants may become more equitable
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