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Explore Research
On this page you will find a full accounting of
the research that has resulted from the Explore study. It includes past
research, such as the papers written using baseline data, and even some
"previews" of upcoming research.
Many of the research sections below contain links
to PDF files. Please feel free to download these PDFs for your own use.
Primary Study Results Paper
The most recent research to come out of the
Explore study is the primary study results paper. This is the main document that
answers the question as to whether or not the Explore intervention was effective
in reducing HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM). It is the first publicly
presented research using the Explore follow-up data, and is therefore the first
publicly presented research that draws any conclusions about Explore.
The primary study results were published in The
Lancet on July 3, 2004. This link points to a PDF of the article, which is
available free of charge. The article is reprinted with permission from Elsevier
(The Lancet, 2004, Vol 364, pp.
41-50).
The primary results paper can also be accessed, along
with other related documents, from the Primary Study Results
page.
Baseline Papers
The Explore study baseline papers were published
in the June 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The papers
contain "baseline" data, or data collected from each participant
BEFORE they enrolled in the study, so they DO NOT CONTAIN ANY STUDY RESULTS.
Instead, they provide a picture of what the participants in Explore looked like
when they were joining the study.
The baseline papers are available in PDF format
by clicking on the links below. We also have available a summary of the baseline
papers that provides a quick and accessible look at the papers' contents. That
two-page summary is available in PDF format by clicking here.
Please feel free to click on the links below and
download the documents in PDF format. Both articles are copyrighted 2003, by the
American Public Health Association.
Beryl A. Koblin, Margaret A. Chesney, Marla J.
Husnik, Sam Bozeman, Connie L. Celum, Susan Buchbinder, Kenneth Mayer, David
McKirnan, Franklyn N. Judson, Yijian Huang, Thomas J. Coates, and the EXPLORE
Study Team
High-Risk Behaviors Among
Men Who Have Sex With Men in 6 US Cities: Baseline Data From the EXPLORE Study
Am J Public Health 2003 93: 926-932.
Margaret A. Chesney, Beryl A. Koblin, Patrick J.
Barresi, Marla J. Husnik, Connie L. Celum, Grant Colfax, Kenneth Mayer, David
McKirnan, Franklyn N. Judson, Yijian Huang, Thomas J. Coates, and the EXPLORE
Study Team
An Individually Tailored
Intervention for HIV Prevention: Baseline Data From the EXPLORE Study Am J
Public Health 2003 93: 933-938.
Upcoming Research
There are several articles and research projects
based on data from the Explore main trial that are on the horizon. These papers
are designed to deepen the analyses presented in the Explore primary results
papers by looking at intriguing hypotheses drawn from the main results data.
There are two papers in the works right now, but many others are in the planning
stages. The list of upcoming papers will be periodically updated in this space
as reliable information becomes available.
- Exploratory subgroup analysis: What was
responsible for the modest intervention effects shown in the data? For
example: Were participant characteristics key to deriving a benefit from the
intervention? Was it more important to have the same counselor for long
periods of time? This paper will be one of the next two pieces of Explore
research to be completed.
- Predictors of seroconversion: What factors are
associated with becoming infected with HIV? This paper will be one of the
next two pieces of Explore research to be completed.
- Other follow-up papers that are in progress
deal with Explore recruitment, retention, the socioeconomic and demographic
characteristics of Explore participants and other topics.
Ancillary Study Research
The Explore study has several affiliated
ancillary studies. These studies utilize the Explore cohort to examine other
scientific questions related to MSM. The current listing of upcoming ancillary
papers appears below; as papers detailing the results of these studies are published,
we will provide links to the papers here.
- A Study of Anal HPV Infection and Neoplasia as
Risk Factors for HIV Seroconversion Among Participants in HIVNET 015
- A Study of Human Herpesvirus 8 Among
Participants in HIVNET Protocol #015
- Prevalence and Risk Factors For
Acquisition of Pharyngeal Gonorrhea In Cohorts of Men Who Have Sex With Men
- A Qualitative Analysis of Explore Counseling
Sessions
- The Impact of Traumatic Current Events on the
HIV Risk Taking Behaviors and Attitudes of Men Who Have Sex with Men: An
Inquiry into the Effects of September 11th, 2001 on Boston's Cohort of
Explore
- The Prevalence of Within Group Sexual Behavior
and the Impact of Group Normative Identity on the HIV Risk Taking Behavior
of Men Who Have Sex with Men
- Focus groups conducted by two study sites to
investigate the experiences of Latino participants and men of color in
Explore.
Feedback Survey and Results
During the last year of the Explore study,
participants were invited to complete a Feedback Survey that solicited their
opinions on a variety of elements of Explore. Participants offered their
opinions of the counseling regimen, the ease of scheduling visits, their
relationship to their study site, and other topics via both closed- and
open-ended survey questions. The Feedback Survey data will be analyzed following
the publication of the Explore main trial results. Once analysis is complete,
the results will be available in this space.
For Researchers Only
The Explore data will be made available to
outside researchers. The timing of data availability is dependent on several
factors, however, so it is a good idea to get in touch with one of the study
co-chairs if you would like to plan research using Explore data.
The materials below will help in planning your research as well.
- Acknowledgements paragraphs: This
MS Word document contains the proper acknowledgements language
to include in any research using Explore data.
- Analysis plan guidelines: This PDF contains information on the paper submission process
employed within Explore. For outside researchers who wish to request
analytic assistance from the HPTN's statistical center, section 9,
"Data Analysis Request and Guidelines," should be particularly
helpful.
- Stored Specimen Request: The
HPTN has laid out guidelines for the request and use of specimens collected
and stored for future research. Please refer to this document, prior to
contacting Explore representatives, if you are interested in using
Explore-collected specimens for research.
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