The Mysterious Origin of HIV: Reviewing the Natural, Iatrogenic and Genocidal Theories of AIDS. Presented at the XI International Conference on AIDS, July 10, 1996, Vancouver, BC. Canada. Horowitz, Leonard G,* Strecker R, Cantwell A, Vid D, and Grossman G. Tetrahedron, LLC #D3678

The Mysterious Origin of HIV: Reviewing the Natural, Iatrogenic and Genocidal Theories of AIDS. Presented at the XI International Conference on AIDS, July 10, 1996, Vancouver, BC. Canada. Horowitz, Leonard G,* Strecker R, Cantwell A, Vid D, and Grossman G. Tetrahedron, LLC Issue: Two-thirds of African Americans recently surveyed believe the AIDS epidemic may be genocide. Such beliefs may impair health service utilization and preventive behaviors. Moreover, reconciling the origin of HIV is additionally important for 1) sociological reasons, victims of AIDS should not be blamed for starting the epidemic, 2) scientific reasons, new therapies might be developed from a better understanding of HIV's origin; and 3) ethical reasons, the events precipitating the epidemic should never be allowed to happen again. Project: In an effort to shed light on this most mysterious and controversial subject, a review of the literature was initiated to determine the most plausible origin of HIV-1. During a two year period, more than 2,500 documents were collected and critically analyzed. This analysis included all natural, iatrogenic, and genocidal theories of AIDS's origin as previously presented in the scientific literature and lay media. Results: The lay media appears to be an important factor in the development of beliefs regarding the origin of AIDS. Numerous publications and broadcasts on this subject were found, most advancing the natural--African green monkey--theory of AIDS's origin. The scientific literature, however, provided no direct evidence for HIV's natural evolution from monkey to man, only circumstantial evidence. Alternatively, a growing body of evidence in the scientific literature suggested an iatrogenic origin of AIDS. Specifically, the possibility that HIV-1 and HIV-2 evolved during early laboratory investigations and vaccine trials is of growing interest. Evidence supporting the genocidal theory of AIDS which appeared in numerous lay publications, and rarely, in esteemed periodicals, was clearly circumstantial, albeit disconcerting. Lessons Learned: The speculation that HIV naturally evolved to be horizontally transmitted from the African green monkey to man must be seriously questioned. Alternatively, more consideration should be given to a growing body of scientific evidence supporting an iatrogenic origin. Moreover, the genocidal theory of AIDS could not be ruled out.