HIV/AIDS denialism

HIV/AIDS denialism is the belief, despite conclusive evidence to the contrary, that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does not cause acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).^[1]^[2]^[3] Some of its proponents reject the existence of HIV, while others accept that HIV exists but argue that it is a harmless passenger virus and not the cause of AIDS. Insofar as they acknowledge AIDS as a real disease, they attribute it to some combination of sexual behavior, recreational drugs, malnutrition, poor sanitation, haemophilia, or the effects of the medications used to treat HIV infection (antiretrovirals).^[4]^[5]

The scientific consensus is that the evidence showing HIV to be the cause of AIDS is conclusive^[1]^[2] and that HIV/AIDS denialist claims are pseudoscience based on conspiracy theories,^[6] faulty reasoning, cherry picking, and misrepresentation of mainly outdated scientific data.^[1]^[2]^[7] With the rejection of these arguments by the scientific community, HIV/AIDS denialist material is now targeted at less scientifically sophisticated audiences and spread mainly through the Internet.^[8]^[9]

Despite its lack of scientific acceptance, HIV/AIDS denialism has had a significant political impact, especially in South Africa under the presidency of Thabo Mbeki. Scientists and physicians have raised alarm at the human cost of HIV/AIDS denialism, which discourages HIV-positive people from using proven treatments.^[2]^[8]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13] Public health researchers have attributed 330,000 to 340,000 AIDS-related deaths, along with 171,000 other HIV infections and 35,000 infant HIV infections, to the South African government's former embrace of HIV/AIDS denialism.^[14]^[15] The interrupted use of antiretroviral treatments is also a major global concern as it potentially increases the likelihood of the emergence of antiretroviral-resistant strains of the virus.^[16]

^ ^a ^b ^c Cite error: The named reference iomreport was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The Evidence that HIV Causes AIDS". National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. 4 September 2009. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
^ Kalichman 2009, p. 205.
^ Cohen, J (1994). "Duesberg and critics agree: Hemophilia is the best test". Science. 266 (5191): 1645–6. Bibcode:1994Sci...266.1645C. doi:10.1126/science.7992044. PMID 7992044.
^ Kalichman 2009.
^ Kalichman, SC (1 January 2014). "The Psychology of AIDS Denialism". European Psychologist. 19 (1): 13–22. doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000175.
^ "Denying science". Nat. Med. 12 (4): 369. 2006. doi:10.1038/nm0406-369. PMID 16598265. To support their ideas, some AIDS denialists have also misappropriated a scientific review in Nature Medicine which opens with this reasonable statement: "Despite considerable advances in HIV science in the past 20 years, the reason why HIV-1 infection is pathogenic is still debated."
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference SmithNovella was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Steinberg, J (17 June 2009). "AIDS denial: A lethal delusion". New Scientist. 2713. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
^ Cohen, J (December 1994). "The Duesberg phenomenon" (PDF). Science. 266 (5191): 1642–4. Bibcode:1994Sci...266.1642C. doi:10.1126/science.7992043. PMID 7992043. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
^ Watson, J (2006). "Scientists, activists sue South Africa's AIDS 'denialists'". Nat. Med. 12 (1): 6. doi:10.1038/nm0106-6a. PMID 16397537. S2CID 3502309.
^ Boseley, S (14 May 2005). "Discredited doctor's 'cure' for Aids ignites life-and-death struggle in South Africa". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
^ "The Durban Declaration". Nature. 406 (6791): 15–6. 2000. doi:10.1038/35017662. PMID 10894520. S2CID 205007392.
^ Chigwedere, P; Seage, GR; et al. (October 2008). "Estimating the lost benefits of antiretroviral drug use in South Africa". Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 49 (4): 410–15. doi:10.1097/QAI.0b013e31818a6cd5. PMID 19186354. S2CID 11458278.
^ Nattrass, N (February 2008). "AIDS and the scientific governance of medicine in post-Apartheid South Africa". African Affairs. 107 (427): 157–76. doi:10.1093/afraf/adm087.
^ Tang, MW; Shafer, RW (2012). "HIV-1 antiretroviral resistance: scientific principles and clinical applications". Drugs. 72 (9): e1–25. doi:10.2165/11633630-000000000-00000. PMC 3689909. PMID 22686620.

[iomreport-1] Cite error: The named reference iomreport was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[niaid-2] "The Evidence that HIV Causes AIDS". National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. 4 September 2009. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2009.

[FOOTNOTEKalichman2009[httpsbooksgooglecombooksid_mtDBCDwxugCpgPA205_205]-3] Kalichman 2009, p. 205.

[CohenScience1994-4] Cohen, J (1994). "Duesberg and critics agree: Hemophilia is the best test". Science. 266 (5191): 1645–6. Bibcode:1994Sci...266.1645C. doi:10.1126/science.7992044. PMID 7992044.

[FOOTNOTEKalichman2009-5] Kalichman 2009.

[6] Kalichman, SC (1 January 2014). "The Psychology of AIDS Denialism". European Psychologist. 19 (1): 13–22. doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000175.

[denying_science-7] "Denying science". Nat. Med. 12 (4): 369. 2006. doi:10.1038/nm0406-369. PMID 16598265. To support their ideas, some AIDS denialists have also misappropriated a scientific review in Nature Medicine which opens with this reasonable statement: "Despite considerable advances in HIV science in the past 20 years, the reason why HIV-1 infection is pathogenic is still debated."

[SmithNovella-8] Cite error: The named reference SmithNovella was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[NewScientist-9] Steinberg, J (17 June 2009). "AIDS denial: A lethal delusion". New Scientist. 2713. Retrieved 14 October 2009.

[Cohen-10] Cohen, J (December 1994). "The Duesberg phenomenon" (PDF). Science. 266 (5191): 1642–4. Bibcode:1994Sci...266.1642C. doi:10.1126/science.7992043. PMID 7992043. Retrieved 22 June 2009.

[11] Watson, J (2006). "Scientists, activists sue South Africa's AIDS 'denialists'". Nat. Med. 12 (1): 6. doi:10.1038/nm0106-6a. PMID 16397537. S2CID 3502309.

[12] Boseley, S (14 May 2005). "Discredited doctor's 'cure' for Aids ignites life-and-death struggle in South Africa". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 October 2009.

[durbandec-13] "The Durban Declaration". Nature. 406 (6791): 15–6. 2000. doi:10.1038/35017662. PMID 10894520. S2CID 205007392.

[chigwedere-14] Chigwedere, P; Seage, GR; et al. (October 2008). "Estimating the lost benefits of antiretroviral drug use in South Africa". Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 49 (4): 410–15. doi:10.1097/QAI.0b013e31818a6cd5. PMID 19186354. S2CID 11458278.

[NattrassAA-15] Nattrass, N (February 2008). "AIDS and the scientific governance of medicine in post-Apartheid South Africa". African Affairs. 107 (427): 157–76. doi:10.1093/afraf/adm087.

[16] Tang, MW; Shafer, RW (2012). "HIV-1 antiretroviral resistance: scientific principles and clinical applications". Drugs. 72 (9): e1–25. doi:10.2165/11633630-000000000-00000. PMC 3689909. PMID 22686620.

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