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.
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