What is it?

The Louisiana Community AIDS Research Program (LaCARP)is a federally funded research program designed to add to existing scientific data on the virus that causes AIDS, Human Immunodificiency Virus (HIV) infection and its consequences.

Who Funds this program?

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

How does this program differ from existing programs?

The focus of this program is to reach populations infected with HIV who previously did not or could not participate in clinical research trials. Specifically, the underserved groups including minorities, women, substance users and their sexual partners.

What will this program mean to me?

This program will offer those in the community infected with HIV a chance to participate in clinical trials that have been developed with the interests and unique characteristics of that community in mind. Ideas for research topics come from each site and are developed with help from NIH/NIAID.

Become a part of the solution!

LaCarp along with other similar programs has participated in research on tuberculosis and HIV studies, prevention of PCP, treatment of MAC and how to use viral load information. LaCarp took the lead in a compliance study that looked for answers to questions about the events in life that make it hard or easy to be on a drug study. Other sudies that recently closed were on antiretrovirals, prevention of MAC, CMV and yeast infections in women.