Hiv/Aids

What is chlorine dioxide, and is it a safe and effective cure or treatment for multiple health ailments, including childhood autism and COVID-19 infection? No, that's not true: Chlorine dioxide is a gaseous chemical that makes a bleach-like substance when added to water. The highly reactive chemical is used as a cleaning agent and can be fatal if ingested. Even…

Was a prominent HIV researcher who died in the 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 planning to declare the virus a "man-made disease"? No, that's not true: Dr. Joep Lange's work in the field of HIV/AIDS focused largely on developing treatment options and the global inequities of treating the disease, not the origin of AIDS itself. A Google News…

Can using a communal swimming pool cause HIV infection? No, that's not true: The chief medical officer of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation told Lead Stores that there are "no cases of HIV transmission" in a swimming pool. HIV is typically spread through unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing needles or syringes, or from mother to child during childbirth, breastfeeding or pregnancy. The…

Does HIV medication weaken the immune system and worsen the condition and can the body reverse HIV/AIDS by itself? No, those claims are not true: An infectious disease expert told Lead Stories that HIV medication, known as antiretroviral therapy, strengthens the immune system by reducing viral load and helping it function better. The body cannot typically reverse HIV/AIDS by itself.…

Is Lyme disease a "made-up disease" that "was and is always" HIV/AIDS? No, that's not true: Lyme disease and HIV, the infection that causes AIDS, are distinct. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks. HIV is a virus. The two have different causes, symptoms and treatments. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X, the site…

Has the LGBTQIA2S+ community officially added a purported symbol of the autism community to the Progress Pride flag as of June 18, 2023? No, that's not true: There is no such thing as an "official flag creator for prides and LGBT" organizations, and there are numerous versions of such flags. The claim was made in a post on Twitter (archived…

Did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that AIDS-associated diseases and cancers have increased by 338 times since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: The CDC says there are no indications that COVID vaccines are causing or contributing to these conditions. The public health agency regularly monitors and reports on health conditions including…

Does fasting cure AIDS? No, that's not true: Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.N.'s UNAIDS organization told Lead Stories there is no cure to HIV/AIDS. However, with proper medical care, the virus can be controlled and people living with the virus can live long and healthy lives. The claim appeared on TikTok (archived here)…

Can HIV be permanently cured by ingesting papaya leaf and black seed tea? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, no cure for HIV has been discovered by medical professionals. Although several false claims of a cure have been made since the emergence of the chronic disease in the 1970s, medical professionals have only found ways to treat…

Do pandemics happen every 100 years? No, that's not true: A post making the claim cherry-picks disease outbreaks, excluding obvious examples. It also misrepresents basic facts about the pandemics it does list, including the years in which the outbreaks began. The claim appeared in an Instagram post (archived here) published January 20, 2023. It included a short slideshow of images…