What you need to know about the trial:

What you need to know about the trial:

There is no guarantee that this vaccine will prevent a person from being infected with HIV;

lThe trials are in Soweto, Cape Town, Klerksdorp and Durban, and at Medunsa;

lVolunteers must be healthy, HIV-negative, aged 18 to 35 years and sexually active;

lFemale volunteers must not be pregnant;

lVolunteers will be required to go for counselling before signing the consent form;

lThe vaccine has been tested in the US, Australia and some African countries.

lOnly half the volunteers will get the vaccine; the rest will be given a placebo (not a vaccine);

lNeither volunteers nor researchers will know whether the vaccine or a placebo has been administered;

lThe trial will run for four years and volunteers will have to visit the clinic nine times during the trial.