Did you hear the one about the "scientists" that claim HIV does not lead to AIDS?

As crazy as that sounds there are people out there that truly believe that HIV does not cause AIDS!

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 (",)