“Before me, there were hundreds and thousands of other people with Parkinson’s who participated in clinical trials that gave me the ability to have the medications that I take today. If people today do not participate in clinical trials, there will be no cure. There will be no new medications.” – Parkinson’s patient Jean

Last year, PatientsLikeMe unveiled our Clinical Trials search tool, which helps you find upcoming studies that might be right for you.  We also introduced a matching feature that notifies you on your profile when you meet the criteria for a new study.  That means when your condition, gender, age and location are all a match.

But if you’re unfamiliar with the clinical trial process, the idea of participating in a study may be a bit daunting.  That’s why the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched a new microsite called NIH Clinical Research Trials and You.  Here you’ll find a clear overview of how clinical trials work as well as a number of personal stories from both study volunteers as well as researchers.

Below are two volunteers’ stories to give you a sense of the different reasons people have for participating in research.

Jenny (Type 1 Diabetes)

Jean (Parkinson’s Disease)

Have you participated in a clinical trial?  Share your experiences in the comments section.