This study seeks to inform deliberation and resolution of ethical issues related to biomedical research in developing countries through empirical data obtained from research participants, community members, and opinion leaders in the Rakai District in Uganda. In particular, this study will look at how people involved in research in a developing country perceive the benefits and risks to communities involved in biomedical research. The study will assess perceptions of the effect of research on individuals and communities. The Rakai Project is an ongoing prospective cohort study in the Rakai District of southwestern Uganda. It has an intensive population-based HIV/STD epidemiological, behavioral, and intervention research program in 46 communities in the district. A representative sample of men and women was drawn from communities in the Rakai District to include: 1) people who have participated in Rakai Project research (including both those who have received financial compensation for their participation and those who have not), 2) people who have never been asked to participate in research, 3) people who have declined to participate in research, and 4) people who are perceived as leaders by their communities. Men and women interviewed come from deep rural, rural, and peri-urban communities. A quantitative survey has been administered to approximately 800 individuals; qualitative in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions are currently underway. Data from the quantitative surveys is being cleaned and readied for analysis.
