HIV does not cause AIDS and why we should care about AIDS Denialism - - PDF document

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“HIV does not cause AIDS” and why we should

care about AIDS Denialism Denial means many things

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Denial… refusal to recognize or acknowledge a problem

Denial… assertion that something said, believed, alleged, etc., is false:

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Denial… defense mechanism to reduce anxiety by blocking intolerable thoughts and feelings Mass Denial – social response to widespread trauma…war, genocide, disaster, plague

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Denialism

Refusal to accept an empirically verifiable reality… propagates denial based on false pretenses and misinformation

“Our view is really simple… HIV does not cause AIDS and HIV/AIDS may not exist at all. The burden of proof should rest on the mainstream which is why the most important thing dissidents should be doing is merely asking questions. It doesn't take long to realize that the mainstream can't answer our questions which proves their theories are full of holes.”

Source Maggiore, AIDS Myth Exposed, October 19, 2009

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What are the AIDS Denialists saying? ….in their own words Denialists undermine HIV Treatment

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Gary Null, Vitamin Entrepreneur and AIDS denialist

“Zinc is necessary for preventing and fighting diseases ranging from the common cold to AIDS.”

Denialists sell “non-toxic” AIDS cures

• Dr. Matthias Rath

Vitamin Entrepreneur and AIDS denialist

Denialists propagate pseudoscience

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Earth Day Exhibit, Orlando, 2009

Denialists try to influence public

• pinion

Denialists campaign against AIDS Charities

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Are AIDS denialists really harming anyone?

AIDS Denialist Clark Baker with Karri Stokely, 2008

Kelly Landis Died December 2007

“a SAME-SEX=SIN=SICKNESS mindset (has) lead to the unquestioned acceptance of the HIV=AIDS=DEATH paradigm”

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Jerry Collinard Died July 2009

Board member of San Diego HEAL. In 2001 he referred to himself as an ‘AIDS dissident’ Michael Bellefountaine Died May 2007 David Pasquarelli Died March 2004

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Lambros Papantoniou Died May 2009 “Lambros attracted the attention of Andrew Maniotis, a scientist and AIDS denialist. Instead of his prescribed medicine, he was convinced to consume Maniotis- promoted vitamins.” Christine Maggiore Died December 2008 Eliza Jane Scovill Died May 2005

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“It's horrible! Maggiore should never have watched it. Seeing this made the stress factor a much more stronger contributor to Maggiore's

• death. I used to think that a

psychological stress factor wasn't really necessary to explain her recent death but now it appears inevitable to me that it played a significant role.”

Sadun Kal http://forums.aidsmythexposed.com

Denying the Death of Christine Maggiore

“Christine suffered fatal renal failure caused by antibiotics, antiviral, and calcium received during the 9 days prior to her death.” “Christine did not suffer from any AIDS indicator illness during the 2 years prior to her death and at the time of her death.”

Official AIDS Denialism Report on the Death of Christine Maggiore

Performed by Mohammed Ali Al-Bayati, PhD, DABT, DABVT

Posted December 9, 2009, www.rethinkingaids.com

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Former South African President Thabo Mbeki and Christine Maggiore, 2000

350,000 South Africans died and 35,000 infants infected as a result of failure to roll out HIV treatments between 2000 and 2005

Chigwedere et al., 2008, JAIDS

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Reliability of AIDS Denialism’s Impact in South Africa

Nattrass, 2009, AIDS and Behavior

Why would anyone listen to AIDS denialists? Why would anyone NOT listen to AIDS denialists?

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“Rex always said Christine was his heroine; she called him in the hospital urging him to stay the dissident course and not take the drugs…Now reality was staring us in the face and he was willing to look at it... I didn’t want to look; I wanted to pretend Christine was right, and HIV doesn’t cause AIDS. I wanted to pretend Rex would live.

"Speaking in Tongues": An Essay on AIDS Denial by John Boucher

Social Context

AIDS Stigma, Internet, Medical Mistrust Science Illiteracy

HIV‐Related Trauma (unacceptable risk HIV+ test result treatment failure network deaths) Initial Coping Response (Denial) Effective Coping

(engagement in care Informed decision making)

Exposure to Denialism Malignant Denial

(encapsulated delusion prolonged escape disengagement misinformed decisions)

Adequate Coping Resources Psychological vulnerability

Model of AIDS Denialism Vulnerability

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Studies of AIDS Denialism Vulnerability Wald et al., 2009 149 African‐American primary care HIV clinic patients 17% endorse the belief, “HIV does not cause AIDS.” Belief that HIV has not been proven to cause AIDS was associated with refusing ARV treatment, t = 2.57, p < .01

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Kalichman et al., 2009 255 Men & 77 Women living with HIV in Atlanta 92% African-Amerian Does holding AIDS denialist beliefs relate to demographic and health status? Do not believe there is a debate among scientists regarding HIV causing AIDS

(n=220, 64%)

Believe there is a debate among scientists regarding HIV causing AIDS (n=123, 36%)

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Does not believe there is a debate (n=220) Mean Does believe there is a debate (n=123) Mean HIV symptoms 3.7 4.5 * T‐Cells 473 455 Medication adherence 91% 84% * Currently taking HIV medications 69% 56% * Undetectable viral load 65 % 54% *

Health status and believing there is a Debate on HIV causing AIDS

Note: * p < .05

Does not believe there is a debate (n = 81) Does believe there is a debate (n = 59) Doctor suggested waiting 49 48 Taking break from treatment 25 27 Medication side effects 10 15 Cannot afford medications 18 15 Refuses to take medications 23 33 * Does not trust medication 16 28 *

Reasons why participants are not taking HIV treatments

Note: among 150 participants not on treatment; * p < .05

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Is Internet use related to AIDS Denial beliefs?

< Weekly internet use (n=206) Weekly + internet use (n=137) Age 45 43 Years of education 12 13 * AIDS knowledge test score (% correct) 67 80 * Years living with HIV diagnosis 13 13 T‐cell count 421 528 * Undetectable viral load 65% 64% Gay/bisexual men 49% 71% *

Demographic and health characteristics of less and more frequent Internet users

Note: * p < .05

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< Weekly internet use Weekly + internet use There is a debate among scientists about whether HIV causes AIDS 32% 42% * There is no proof that HIV causes AIDS 20% 26% * HIV treatments do more harm than good 22% 25% Herbal and natural remedies can cure AIDS in some people 30% 34% *

AIDS Denialist Beliefs among less and more frequent Internet users

Note: * p < .05

Does interest in AIDS Denialist websites relate to AIDS denialist beliefs? Participants read 3 Internet passages; 1 Control + 2 AIDS Denialist. Indicated whether they planned to search for more information from the source. Rated the passages for believability and trustworthiness (0-to-10 scale)

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Jonathan Campbell, Health Consultant Natural Therapies for Chronic Illness & Health Maintenance

Rath International: “Micronutrients Help Control AIDS” Jonathan Campbell; “A Cure for AIDS?” “immune enhancing nutrients, vitamin C Tufts School of Medicine “Choose Snacks that work for you”

Does not plan to search Does plan to search Believes information 7.4 9.1 * Trusts information 7.1 9.0 * Denialism beliefs score 2.0 2.1

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Does not plan to search Does plan to search Believes information 6.1 7.9 * Trusts information 5.9 7.9 * Denialism beliefs score 1.9 2.2 *

Jonathan Campbell, Health Consultant Natural Therapies for Chronic Illness & Health Maintenance Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food. Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, 400 B.C.

Does not plan to search Does plan to search Believes information 5.8 7.8 * Trusts information 5.3 7.3 * Denialism beliefs score 1.9 2.2 *

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Social Context

AIDS Stigma, Internet, Medical Mistrust Science Illiteracy

HIV‐Related Trauma (unacceptable risk HIV+ test result treatment failure network deaths) Initial Coping Response (Denial) Effective Coping

(engagement in care Informed decision making)

Exposure to Denialism Malignant Denial

(encapsulated delusion prolonged escape disengagement misinformed decisions)

Adequate Coping Resources Psychological vulnerability

Model of AIDS Denialism Vulnerability Social Context

AIDS Stigma, Internet, Medical Mistrust Science Illiteracy

HIV‐Related Trauma Initial Coping Response Effective Coping Exposure to Denialism Psychological vulnerability

Points of Intervention

Coping Effectiveness Training Highly Resourced Support & Follow‐up Public Health Education Academic Accountability Critical Thinking Skills Builiding

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Conclusions

AIDS denialist beliefs are prevalent among people living with HIV/AIDS The Internet plays a critical role in disseminating AIDS denialism Interventions are needed to address denialist beliefs and maladaptive coping

Denying AIDS

Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy

Denying AIDS

All royalties buy HIV treatments in Africa

For more on AIDS Denial http://denyingaids.blogspot.com www.AIDSTruth.org