You have rights. They will be protected.

Groups of experts at the national and local levels approve research studies before they begin.

• One of the most important groups is called an institutional review board (IRB).
• The IRB's job is to review research studies to make sure they are run safely and fairly.
• The IRB includes doctors, nurses, clergy, and people from the community.
• Researchers may collect a lot of information about you. But it will be kept as private and confidential as possible.

"I used to think that people in medical studies were just 'guinea pigs.' But I found out it wasn't like that. I felt that my rights were protected."