Mind Your Behind

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Thank you for your interest in the SOLO Study! Click the survey link to see if you are eligible to participate.

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The SOLO Study

There is a much greater risk of anal cancer among gay and bisexual men and transgender women, especially those living with HIV. But we don’t know the best way to encourage folks to get screened.

From 2018-2024, the Prevent Anal Cancer Self-Swab Study in Milwaukee learned that many people preferred to do self-swabbing at home rather than go to a clinic for anal swabbing by a clinician. The SOLO Study (Self-sampling to Optimize anal Lesion Outcomes) takes the next step by asking if self-sampling also encourages follow-up care at a clinic.

SOLO is enrolling gay and bisexual men (both cis and trans) and trans women in the Chicago, Houston, and Milwaukee areas. Participants receive up to $140 to help us learn better ways to get anal cancer detected earlier, when it’s much easier to treat.

The study is funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. It is led by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in partnership with the University of Chicago, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and LGBTQ-friendly community-based organizations and community health clinics in each city.

If you would like more information about SOLO, you can contact us by email (SOLO@mcw.edu) or telephone (414) 882-0131.

Learn More about Anal Cancer

Information, Data & Resources

If you would like to learn more about anal cancer, you can use the links below to access resources on anal cancer.

The Bottom Line
Anal Cancer Information – University of California, San Francisco
National Cancer Institute – Anal Cancer

Contact Us & Get Involved

For scientists: If you are a trained investigator and have an interest in working with a de-identified data set (no data is ever shared that could identify any individual) to help us report the results of the Prevent Anal Cancer Studies, please email Dr. Alan Nyitray at anyitray@mcw.edu. Fully de-identified datasets and data dictionary will be shared with properly trained investigators within one year of study completion after assessment of institutional policies, Medical College of Wisconsin Human Research Protection Program rules, as well as local, state, Tribal and federal laws and regulations.

General Questions

The SOLO Study, Medical College of Wisconsin: SOLO@mcw.edu

SOLO Study Questions