Stanford Blood Center is proud to participate in an FDA study that could potentially lead to a change in blood donor eligibility for men who have sex with men (MSM), and welcomes participants who are 18 to 39 years old to enroll in the study at our research site in Palo Alto (3373 Hillview Avenue). To learn more about the study and enroll as a participant, visit advancestudy.org.
Eligibility
The study will include gay and bisexual men who are interested in donating blood, and who have had sex with at least one other man in the three months before joining in the study.
Potential participants will complete a short survey to assess if they meet the study inclusion criteria. If the potential participants are qualified, staff conducting the study will enroll the participants into the study and obtain informed consent.
Eligible participants will also need to be 18 to 39 years old and live in one of the eight communities where the study is being done.
Participants will be financially compensated for their time.
What to Expect
1. Potential participants will complete a short survey to determine if they meet eligibility requirements.
2. Eligible participants will need to provide informed consent.
3. Participants will then complete the ADVANCE Study questionnaire.
4. Participants will also have a blood sample collected. This blood sample will be tested in a research laboratory for HIV, as well as for anti-retroviral drugs found in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
5. A few weeks after enrolling in the study, participants will be asked to return to the location where they enrolled to learn of their test results. Depending upon the test results, participants will be asked to complete an additional questionnaire.