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What
is the Community Constituency Group?
The
Community Constituency Group (otherwise known as the CCG)
is a group of community advocates who provide diverse community
input into HIV/AIDS research
funded by the Federal government. The Adult AIDS Clinical
Trials Group (or AACTG) is the organization that was formed
to conduct this research, and consists of many prominent scientists,
physicians, and researchers.
Many
Universities and teaching hospitals across the country have
an ACTG site associated with them. Each of these sites is
required to have a Community Advisory Board consisting of
HIV+ individuals and concerned community members. The CCG
works in cooperation with Community Advisory Boards (CAB’s)
at each ACTG site and helps bring local concerns to the table
at one of several national meetings. The CCG is an integral
part of the ACTG because it offers a broad community perspective
to the researchers, and helps to ensure that the research
being conducted is not only safe and ethical, but also takes
into consideration the ever-changing health issues that the
infected community faces.
One
particular mission of the CCG has been to help eliminate barriers
to participation in clinical research. This includes advocating
for specific issues that in the past have prevented certain
population groups from joining a clinical trial such as: childcare,
transportation, unfair exclusion criteria, and other barriers
that may prevent women, and communities of color from joining
a trial.
CCG
members serve for a term of up to 4 years, and are selected
through an application process. The CCG recruits new members
twice annually tries to maintain an ethnic and gender representation
that reflects the epidemic in the US.
Community
Advisory Boards for local ACTG sites are always in need of
new members. Many current CCG members started out attending
their local CAB meetings. If you are HIV positive and are
interested in making a difference, please contact Women Alive.
We can give you information on how to join the Community Advisory
Board in your area, or
on how to obtain an application for the CCG.
Please
call today….and let your voice be heard.
1-800-554-4876
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