Human subjects

The Problem

It has been proposed that some fruits help HIV/AIDS patients maintain or improve their health but, because of their infection, they show no desire to consume these fruits. You have a funded project that will investigate whether or not there are differences in fruit preferences and uses between individuals with and without HIV/AIDS.

This project obviously involves "sensitive" information about an individual as a person's HIV/AIDS status is considered confidential.

The Exercise

This exercise involves two parts:

• Design a brief questionnaire and a data collection system that will likely pass approval of the IRB (Human Subjects Board).
• Supply a brief cover letter to the IRB that explains how you are complying with the rules established for human subject experimentation.

Please note the following:

• This is an artificial problem; there is no evidence that the proposed use of fruit is true.
• Reference to the questions in the Human Subjects Protocol is important. Your cover letter should indicate that you have considered all of the relevant points in the protocol and that you are abiding by its intent.

Background & Resources

• University of Hawai`i IRB (website)
• Human Subjects Guidelines
• Human Subjects Protocol