OBJECTIVE: To survey the opinion of researchers, women - subjects of research- and of advocates of women's rights about the meaning of "research" and "guinea pigs". Methods: Researchers (11), women (18) and advocates (10) were interviewed. The study was qualitative and a thematic analysis was carried out. RESULTS: Participants experienced difficulty to explain what research meant and some were unable to do so. For the researchers and most of the women, subjects are not guinea pigs, because they have freedom of choice. Most of the advocates, however, said that subjects are guinea pigs, even when they consent to participate in a study. CONCLUSIONS: The difficulty experienced by researchers when explaining the meaning of research was surprising. The different opinions about "guinea pig" reflect the controversy about its meaning in research. Certainly the expression "guinea pig" does not apply to all studies however the different meanings identified should make researchers cautious about the ethical issues involved in their studies.
Research; Ethics; Human guinea pigs; Contraception