AIDS Conspiracy Theory

It is believed by some people that HIV is a man-made virus that was released into the population to kill people from certain groups. However, available evidence shows that HIV appeared naturally and has not been used as a weapon.

Perpetrators

• As is common in conspiracy theory communities, persons employed by the U.S. government are implicated in having created and released HIV.

Purpose

• AIDS conspiracy theorists believe that HIV is intended to kill people from groups the government may find undesirable, including gay men, black immigrants, African Americans and IV drug users. All of these groups were strongly affected by the first wave of AIDS cases and/or are currently severely impacted by the epidemic.

Cure

• Another conspiracy theory contends that there is an available cure or vaccine for HIV, but that it is being withheld by the government. There is no evidence that the government is withholding a cure or vaccine, and the government routinely updates information on HIV/AIDS research (see Resources below).

Origins

• Although it took some time to trace the origins of HIV, it is now known that HIV evolved naturally from simian immunodeficiency viruses that infect other primates, according to Avert.org.

First Cases

• Conspiracy theories focus on the United States. However, cases of HIV have now been identified retroactively in Africa as early as 1959, long before the first cases of AIDS were found in gay men and IV drug users in America.