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Human Guinea Pigs Wanted!

© Michelle Struik

Sometimes the medical profession doesn't have all the answers. They don't know the cause, so of course there is no cure. Or there are so few people with a medical condition that it's difficult to study and do research.

So what do the patients do in this case? Hope that their doctors can help them to manage their symptoms and learn to cope with their day-to-day life. Another option is to volunteer to be a human guinea pig. Research and drug studies happen all the time. You've probably recently heard about the possible human AIDS studies being proposed? Well these types of studies happen all around the world on a regular basis for every medical condition known to mankind. They are very helpful to some patients who have attempted all known treatments with no success.

So how does one find out if a study in being proposed in their area? Why, by logging onto CenterWatch. This site lists all the studies being done in North America at this time. They even have an e-mail notification system that will send you an e-mail if you register with them and list your areas of interest.

Want to find out which new drugs have been approved by the FDA? CenterWatch can help you with that as well. They have one area of their site devoted to new FDA approvals!

Unsure what being a "human guinea pig" entails? They have a section on that as well. Where they explain in simple language exactly what questions you should ask before becoming involved in "trials."

Let's face it. Some medical conditions leave the patient without much control over their treatment because of lack of knowledge/research on the medical condition or response to "usual treatment." If you find yourself in this position, you might want to explore the possibilities over at Centerwatch. It's a difficult decision consenting to being a "human guinea pig." It's not for everyone! However, if your options are few and you make an informed decision about participating in such trials, sometimes the benefits are worth it!

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