Updated June 08, 2015.
HIV Does Not Behave Like Other Viruses – For those scientists who believe HIV is bunk, many point out the traits of HIV that are inconsistent with other retroviruses. They cite what they believe are flaws in replication, mutation, and virility when compared with other, more common retroviruses.
But HIV is a retrovirus, that is, a virus that has its genetic material in the form of RNA and uses the reverse transcriptase enzyme to translate their RNA into DNA in the host cell.
The HIV life cycle illustrates that HIV does just that. HIV testing and HIV medications are both a direct result of the proper identification of HIV.
AIDS is a Behavioral Disease – Dr. Gordon Stewart, a public health professor in Glasgow, said in 1992 that he felt AIDS was caused by several stressors on the immune system including recreational and prescription drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, and repeated viral infections, not HIV. Denialists often place the blame for illnesses that are AIDS defining not on a weakened immune system from HIV infection but instead the “reckless” use of recreational drugs such as amyl nitrate, a behavioral choice by the person with AIDS.
There are plenty of HIV-infected people who have never used recreational drugs. How else would one explain the mother of three who was infected by her husband, or the grandmother who was infected by receiving HIV infected blood products in the early 1990s, or the millions of infected people on the continent of Africa?
While drug use can lead to HIV infection, the drugs themselves are not the cause of the infections and illnesses in people living with HIV.
AIDS is Caused By the Drugs That Treat the Disease – The first commercially available drug to treat HIV infection was Zidovudine (AZT). When it was first prescribed, AZT was used as a sole agent in very high doses. There were terrible side effects and in fact some people died after starting the drug.
Even today, when AZT is used in much lower doses along with other drugs and has been proven to be effective, denialists still believe it is a “poison." Side effects that are common with many of the HIV medications only fuel the belief that it is medication, not HIV, that destroys the immune system, resulting in people getting sick. However, if what the denialists say is true, why did the death rate from AIDS go down after the advent of HIV medications? Wouldn't deaths have gone up if the medicines were the cause all along?[
HIV is Not Sexually Transmitted – Denialists believe that exposure to HIV through sexual contact is impossible. They propose that if HIV were sexually transmitted, there would be more heterosexual HIV cases. In fact, they contend that if it is a sexually transmitted disease, the majority of prostitutes around the world would be infected based on the large number of sexual partners they have.
The denialists ignore the other factors that have to be present for infection to occur. They ignore the fact that certain sexual acts carry a higher risk of HIV transmission than others. The sun can cause skin cancer but not everyone who is in the sun gets cancer. Does that mean the sun can't cause skin cancer? Of course not.
It is hard to argue with that concern. On this very website, denialists visit our forum, making their case by contradicting conventional information, posting page after page of denialist information and debate. New ideas and new perspectives are good for science, but many believe that denialist efforts to disprove conventional thinking can do harm to HIV patients already confused and uncertain of their disease and what their future holds.
Sources:
HIV Does Not Behave Like Other Viruses – For those scientists who believe HIV is bunk, many point out the traits of HIV that are inconsistent with other retroviruses. They cite what they believe are flaws in replication, mutation, and virility when compared with other, more common retroviruses.
But HIV is a retrovirus, that is, a virus that has its genetic material in the form of RNA and uses the reverse transcriptase enzyme to translate their RNA into DNA in the host cell.
The HIV life cycle illustrates that HIV does just that. HIV testing and HIV medications are both a direct result of the proper identification of HIV.
AIDS is a Behavioral Disease – Dr. Gordon Stewart, a public health professor in Glasgow, said in 1992 that he felt AIDS was caused by several stressors on the immune system including recreational and prescription drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, and repeated viral infections, not HIV. Denialists often place the blame for illnesses that are AIDS defining not on a weakened immune system from HIV infection but instead the “reckless” use of recreational drugs such as amyl nitrate, a behavioral choice by the person with AIDS.
There are plenty of HIV-infected people who have never used recreational drugs. How else would one explain the mother of three who was infected by her husband, or the grandmother who was infected by receiving HIV infected blood products in the early 1990s, or the millions of infected people on the continent of Africa?
While drug use can lead to HIV infection, the drugs themselves are not the cause of the infections and illnesses in people living with HIV.
AIDS is Caused By the Drugs That Treat the Disease – The first commercially available drug to treat HIV infection was Zidovudine (AZT). When it was first prescribed, AZT was used as a sole agent in very high doses. There were terrible side effects and in fact some people died after starting the drug.
Even today, when AZT is used in much lower doses along with other drugs and has been proven to be effective, denialists still believe it is a “poison." Side effects that are common with many of the HIV medications only fuel the belief that it is medication, not HIV, that destroys the immune system, resulting in people getting sick. However, if what the denialists say is true, why did the death rate from AIDS go down after the advent of HIV medications? Wouldn't deaths have gone up if the medicines were the cause all along?[
HIV is Not Sexually Transmitted – Denialists believe that exposure to HIV through sexual contact is impossible. They propose that if HIV were sexually transmitted, there would be more heterosexual HIV cases. In fact, they contend that if it is a sexually transmitted disease, the majority of prostitutes around the world would be infected based on the large number of sexual partners they have.
The denialists ignore the other factors that have to be present for infection to occur. They ignore the fact that certain sexual acts carry a higher risk of HIV transmission than others. The sun can cause skin cancer but not everyone who is in the sun gets cancer. Does that mean the sun can't cause skin cancer? Of course not.
The 10 HIV Myths According to the Denialist:
- AIDS is a New Disease – AIDS is really a re-packaging of existing illnesses.
- HIV Cause AIDS - some feel HIV is harmless; others feel that HIV may be involved but there are other factors that contribute to AIDS.
- HIV is Infectious – as stated earlier, many feel that conventional HIV theory violates established rules of viral behavior.
- HIV is Sexually Transmitted – the spread among heterosexuals is too slow, disproving the belief that HIV is sexually transmitted.
- Gay Men are Dying From AIDS – this stems from the belief that recreation drugs such as amyl nitrate are responsible for the deaths among gay men. Denialists believe gay men have a higher incidence of recreational drug use than the general population, accounting for higher HIV and AIDS death rates among gay men.
- Africa is Being Destroyed by HIV and AIDS – denialist believe it is things like malnutrition and unsanitary conditions that cause the deaths in Africa, not HIV and AIDS.
- AIDS is Incurable – avoiding things like toxic drugs and living a healthy life style will cure AIDS according to the denialist.
- You Can Test for HIV – the denialist believes that the tests used to diagnose HIV are flawed and unreliable.
- AZT is an Anti-Viral Medication – according to denialists, AZT does nothing but damage DNA and really has no anti-viral activity.
- Drug Regimens Stop HIV – in fact, combination therapies do nothing but mask symptoms, according to the denialists, and in fact it is these drugs that make people sick, not HIV and AIDS.
What's the Harm?
Different theories, different points of view - for centuries those concepts have fueled research and invention. Discovery is the product of differing ideas. So, if that is the case, is the denialist point of view a bad thing? It depends on your perspective. The denialists believe that their theories and questions will eventually lead to what they consider to be the truth. For conventional thinkers, the denialists are fostering misinformation, and in some cases, are disrupting HIV prevention, education, testing and treatment.It is hard to argue with that concern. On this very website, denialists visit our forum, making their case by contradicting conventional information, posting page after page of denialist information and debate. New ideas and new perspectives are good for science, but many believe that denialist efforts to disprove conventional thinking can do harm to HIV patients already confused and uncertain of their disease and what their future holds.
Sources:
- Laarhoven, R. "Controversy." Virusmyth. 19 Feb 2007.
- Rebello, L."Message to the World - 10 AIDS Myths." Naturodoc. 01 Dec 2004.
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