HIV causes AIDS. This is an established medical fact, based on more than a quarter of a century of science. Unbelievably, AIDS denialists claims that HIV is actually harmless, and that the antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV actually cause AIDS.
They believe that the pharmaceutical industry has somehow conspired with doctors and scientists, to invent a disease as a means of selling the pharmaceutical companies harmful drugs. Such claims may sound like absolute insanity to most of us. But the sad truth is that AIDS denialism has emerged as a genuine threat to global public health policy including in the USA and, particularly, in South Africa.
I first became aware of AIDS denialism after reading the blog of Dr Andrew Goldacre. He is the author of a book called "Bad Science" I am yet to read the book but he has just released a "missing" chapter that due to a legal dispute could not be included in the original print of the book.The additional chapter, "The doctor will sue you now" primarily discusses the influence Matthias Rath had on the public health policy of South African President Thabo Mbeki's regarding HIV/AIDS.
Rath claims that illness can be treated successfully by course of nutritional supplements he calls "Cellular medicine".
Anyways, take a look at the links and make up your own minds!
I am HIV+, when diagnosed I had a low CD4 and a mid range Viral Load. I did take some time to think over the side effects of taking HAART and as well as its benefits. I am lucky, I live in a society that has a great healthcare system. A system that runs based on established scientific fact. A system that allows you to make a informed choice based on fact and expertise. The people of South Africa are not afforded such luxury and therefore it those of us much more fortunate to ensure that "quackery" is not passed as medical fact and subsequently put the lives of many thousands in danger.
AIDS Denialism causes untold death and suffering through ignorance. This has to stop if we are to be in with a chance of making a unified and informed stand against HIV & AIDS.
Thanks for stopping by (",)
I'm so glad you are writing about this. We really need to wake up this younger generation who doesn't seem to care at all about either HIV prevention or STDs altogether. AIDS awareness may have been somewhat commercialized in the 90s by celebrities who claimed to care, but looking back I think all their red ribbon-wearing wasn't so bad. I miss the attention HIV/AIDS got back then. Maybe it's up to us now to get the word out. You do your best to and I try my best to talk about it to my friends and family. Let's hope they listen to us.
ReplyDeletePff... We can be exposed to HIV many times without being chronically infected. Our immune system will get rid of the virus within a few weeks, if you have a good immune system.
ReplyDeleteSo just focus on improving your immune system and you don't need to worry about any HIV.
If my above comment appears idiotically ignorant -or not- then please take a look at this:
ReplyDeleteHouse of NumbersThose were actually the words of last year's Nobel Prize Winner for the "Discovery" of "HIV", Luc Montagnier. Perhaps it can get you thinking...
Sadunkal, firstly let me thank you for your comments. The first question that springs to mind with regards to your opening comment is what is your own experience with HIV?
ReplyDeleteAs you may be aware from reading my blog is that I am a HIV+ individual who, with the help of HAART has saw my own CD4 count and viral load improve immensely. I have no doubt in my mnd that without the treatment I would be in a much more dire physical condition than I am now, due to late diagnosis. Whilst Monsiuer Montagnier comments may indeed be correct with regards to the state of your immune system at the point your body is exposed to the HIV Antibody, for many some that is a pretty moot point as not everyone has the luxury of a lifestyle that would afford them a particularly robust immune system.
I have taken a look at the short video to which you posted a link and to the casual observer, it would appear to be nothing more than a selective collection of sound bites geared more towards the denialists point of view. As the video is yet to be released in its entirety, I will not comment further until I can view the documentary in full.
I'm just interested in this topic because I think it matters a lot for the entire humanity. I never had anything to do with "HIV" or "AIDS" in the real world. But that's irrelevant because there are many "positive" people who share my view on HIV/AIDS out there.As long as you perceive people like me as evil, ignorant "denialists" or whatever, you will never be able to educate yourself on the subject objectively. Try to work on that. Maybe reading what people wrote on Christine Maggiore's memorial wall can help you with that: CHRISTINE JOY MAGGIOREOr learning about other people's stories:
ReplyDeletehttp://livingwithouthivdrugs.com/http://liamscheff.com/daily/2008/11/23/when-did-you-become-hiv-positive/After that we can discuss the drugs and all that more in detail if you're interested.
What Montagnier says in that video is likely to get him into a little trouble by the way. It's not compatible with the mainstream assumptions at all. The entire HIV/AIDS medical policy has to changed if Montagnier is correct. Just so you know...