August 2015
AIDSTruth began in 2006 to provide accurate information that countered the nonsense of AIDS denialism. We have long since reached the point where we—the people who have in one way or another been involved in running this website—believe that AIDS denialism died as an effective political force.
We have therefore decided that there are no further compelling reasons to continue updating this website. However, the website will continue existing indefinitely. It is a valuable source of accurate information on HIV, and it serves as an important archive of the battle against AIDS denialism.
AIDS denialism includes the views that (1) HIV does not cause AIDS, (2) the risks of antiretrovirals outweigh their benefits for people with HIV, and (3) there has been no large HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
HIV was proven to be the cause of AIDS in 1984. By 1987 there was no reasonable doubt. And since then barely a month has gone by in which a study doesn’t in some way reconfirm this finding. The efficacy of antiretrovirals, starting with AZT in 1987, is unequivocal. There were of course bumps in the early years of treatment. AZT was prescribed too early and in doses too high, but even so observational data from that time two decades ago shows that it did more good than harm. By 1996 the benefits of triple-drug antiretroviral treatment were profound. And in the past month, the publication of the START and TEMPRANO studies has shown yet again, in randomised clinical trial conditions, how effective these medicines are at keeping people with HIV healthy.
Also in the past month, the World Health Organisation has announced that over 15 million people are on antiretroviral treatment. The South African government counts over 3 million on treatment. Data shows how antiretroviral treatment has turned around declining life-expectancy in South Africa. This demonstrates the absurdity of the view that there is no large HIV epidemic.
AIDS denialism has cost many lives across the world. It will continue to exist in marginalised pockets, just like other conspiracy theories and pseudo-scientific ideas. But the proponents of AIDS denialism are no longer taken seriously by the vast majority of people affected by HIV, and they no longer have any relevant political power. Our work is done.
The AIDSTruth team