During the Study

What happens during the first appointment?

Study visit appointments are private appointments where you and/or your partner meet with a Research Associate. No other study participants are present. At the visit, the Research Associate will give you additional information about the study and answer your questions. If you decide to join the study, you will read and sign a consent form that details the risks and benefits of study participation. We'll also ask you some personal questions about your background, medical, and sexual history. Your answers to these questions will be kept private, even from your partner. The Research Associate will also explain to you how to use the study method and how to complete any questionnaires or diary forms you will be taking home. We'll give you the study products to test at home and explain how we’ll keep in touch with you during your study participation.

What happens while I’m in the study?

Once you've enrolled in the study, we need to stay in touch with you until you've completed your participation. Different studies involve different ways of doing this. We may ask you to keep a written record of your method use. We call this a diary which looks like a calendar where you mark the days you have sex and the days you use the method. For other studies we might ask you to fill out detailed reports about using the study product.  Or we might call you for a phone interview. Or you may need to come in to see us in-person to provide the best possible feedback.  In all cases, we try to meet the needs of the study without putting a burden on our participants.

What kind of tests do you do while I’m in the study?

The tests done depend on the study. When you call us to get more information about the study we will give you specific details about what tests will be done

Where will we (I) test the study product?

All products are tested by you in the privacy of your home.

What if I have a problem while in the study?

You can give us a call to discuss the problem. Our studies are staffed by friendly, experienced professionals who enjoy working with study participants. It's part of their job to make you as comfortable as possible. They will explain the study to you in detail and answer any questions you may have. You can count on them to treat you with respect and courtesy.

What if I/my partner become(s) pregnant while in the study?

Some of our studies involve using a study method for birth control. No method is 100% effective, and the methods we are studying may be more or less effective than other methods couples are using. If a woman becomes pregnant during one of our studies, we will pay for a visit to one of our clinic sites, where the woman can receive pregnancy testing and referral information. We do not pay for any other pregnancy-related expenses.

What if we join a study and we don't like the method we are given? What happens if I decide I don’t want to stay in the study?

Any person who joins a study may leave the study at any time for any reason. We only ask you to tell us why you want to stop. If people don't like a method we are studying, we want to know! This is important information for us to collect.