Research center
seeks gay men for MRSA study

Researchers at the New York City-based Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center are seeking HIV-negative gay men to participate in a study of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as drug-resistant staph infections. MRSA is a common bacteria that can cause skin infections ranging from mild cases to deep-tissue, life-threatening infections. MRSA has been diagnosed among many gay men across the United states during the past two years, with many of the cases occurring in HIV-positive men.

MRSA can be carried on the skin without causing any symptoms, and it is easily passed to other men through skin-to-skin contact, including sex. The researchers are seeking gay men for their study that will gauge whether any of them are unknowingly carrying the virus. The study will include three visits to the Rockefeller University Hospital Outpatient Clinic on the upper east side of Manhattan, where a swab will be taken from nostrils and underarms. The first visit also will include an HIV antibody test. Study participants will be paid a $60 stipend at the conclusion of the third visit.

For more information about the study or to enroll, go online to www.adarc.org or call (212) 327-7260.