Description

In 2007, sixty-eight percent of the African population was infected with AIDS.1 With this disease reaching epidemic proportions in less developed countries, research in these areas is on the rise. Current international guidelines for research on human subjects stress the importance of informed consent, which is meant to ensure that people freely choose whether to participate in a research trial. As many of the current international guidelines for informed consent in research on human subjects spell out, informed consent rests on the principle of respect for autonomy,2 the ability to make self-governed choices regarding research participation that reflect one's beliefs and values.