It's like the "Secret" for Aids.
I came across this while checking out the new movie trailers on Apple's site. It's a preview of the film "House of Numbers". The latest in pseudoscience pseudo-documentary film making. It's sad that this even exists, and frankly, I'm disgusted that Apple is even hosting the trailer.
Aids denialism has popped up in some of the more backwards parts of Africa, but for this to be presented in America in the 21st century is completely absurd.
The wikipedia article on "Aids denialism" makes for some frighteningly interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS_denialism
"Public health researchers in South Africa and at Harvard University have independently investigated the effect of AIDS denialism. Their estimates attribute 330,000 to 340,000 AIDS deaths, along with 171,000 other HIV infections and 35,000 infant HIV infections, to the South African government's former embrace of AIDS denialism"
While I am completely a proponent of free speech, I feel that Apple, movie theaters, and other media outlets have a responsibility to the public to prevent the spread of this type of misinformation. I'm certainly not worried about this converting most people, but even a small number of people persuaded by this film represents a serious social health risk.
Aids denialism has popped up in some of the more backwards parts of Africa, but for this to be presented in America in the 21st century is completely absurd.
The wikipedia article on "Aids denialism" makes for some frighteningly interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS_denialism
"Public health researchers in South Africa and at Harvard University have independently investigated the effect of AIDS denialism. Their estimates attribute 330,000 to 340,000 AIDS deaths, along with 171,000 other HIV infections and 35,000 infant HIV infections, to the South African government's former embrace of AIDS denialism"
While I am completely a proponent of free speech, I feel that Apple, movie theaters, and other media outlets have a responsibility to the public to prevent the spread of this type of misinformation. I'm certainly not worried about this converting most people, but even a small number of people persuaded by this film represents a serious social health risk.
On the other hand, the preview makes this movie look like it's basically using ambush interviews and vague insinuations to cast doubt without any real scientific basis.
I'll admit that the specifics of the research linking HIV to AIDS is way over my head, and I wouldn't have any idea if it were complete fabrication. And I'm willing to (for the purposes of argument) discount the entire scientific community as being somehow corruptible and complicit in spreading the lie. But there are still mountains of evidence that show that the drugs designed to work on HIV and the exposure prevention strategies based on the link between HIV and AIDS do work, and have saved thousands if not millions of lives. That alone makes a pretty strong case for HIV/AIDS.
Does anyone know of a good film or book distilling the history of AIDS research without a strong fearmongering slant in either direction? I would like to know more about the discovery of HIV but I don't want to be preached at or have to wade through technical medical writing that I don't understand.