Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy [Hardcover]

Seth C. Kalichman (Author), Nicoli Nattrass (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387794751 | ISBN-13: 978-0387794754 | Publication Date: February 20, 2009 | Edition: 1st Edition. 2nd Printing.

Paralleling the discovery of HIV and the rise of the AIDS pandemic, a flock of naysayers has dedicated itself to replacing genuine knowledge with destructive misinformation—and spreading from the fringe to the mainstream media and the think tank. Now from the editor of the journal AIDS and Behavior comes a bold exposé of the scientific and sociopolitical forces involved in this toxic evasion. Denying AIDS traces the origins of AIDS dissidents disclaimers during the earliest days of the epidemic and delves into the psychology and politics of the current denial movement in its various incarnations. Seth Kalichman focuses not on the “difficult” or doubting patient, but on organized, widespread forms of denial (including the idea that HIV itself is a myth and HIV treatments are poison) and the junk science, faulty logic, conspiracy theories, and larger forces of homophobia and racism that fuel them. The malignant results of AIDS denial can be seen in those individuals who refuse to be tested, ignore their diagnoses, or reject the treatments that could save their lives. Instead of ignoring these currents, asserts Kalichman, science has a duty to counter them. Among the topics covered: Why AIDS denialism endures, and why science must understand it. Pioneer virus HIV researcher Peter Duesberg’s role in AIDS denialism. Flawed immunological, virological, and pharmacological pseudoscience studies that are central to texts of denialism. The social conservative agenda and the politics of AIDS denial, from the courts to the White House. The impact of HIV misinformation on public health in South Africa. Fighting fiction with reality: anti-denialism and the scientific community. For anyone affected by, interested in, or working with researchers in HIV/AIDS, and public health professionals in general, the insight and vision of Denying AIDS will inspire outrage, discussion, and ultimately action. See http://denyingaids.blogspot.com/ for more information.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews: It's a slender and punchy book, engagingly written and sharply observed, a fascinating insight into what the author describes as a "wacky and destructive world".... Kalichman is generous and thoughtful company, he assiduously attends to the denialist creed, thoroughly debunking their theories without bitterness or rage. An epilogue posits that all forms of medical denialism—whether cancer, AIDS, or autism—could be "part of one movement to promote public mistrust in science and medicine." -Talha Burki, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 9, Issue 10, October 2009 "Seth Kalichman has superbly captured the contradictions inherent in AIDS denialism. He has deftly captured its religious-like fervor, its vociferous proponents and passionate opponents as well as its destructive force when legitimized by the South African President. AIDS denialism has left confusion in its wake as it undermined public health efforts to curb the greatest health challenge of the 20th century. Kalichman vividly shares his experiences, understanding, and dilemmas as he unraveled this phenomenon piece by painful piece." -Salim S. Abdool Karim, Member of the 2000 South African Presidential Panel on AIDS, Professor at University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Director of Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) "Significant advances in the prevention and treatment have lead to fewer numbers of new infections and extended and improved the lives of those affected by the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS. However, myths and misunderstandings about HIV/AIDS still abound and pose a real threat to our progress. In Denying AIDS, Seth Kalichman provides a fascinating look into the thinking of those who propagate AIDS myths and the negative impact it has on our response to a deadly disease. He shows us how AIDS pseudoscience has at times confused the public and threatened sound public health policy. Anyone who cares about the global HIV/AIDS pandemic should read this book." -Helene D. Gayle, President and CEO CARE USA and former Director of the National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Assistant Surgeon General, and Member of the 2000 South African Presidential Panel on AIDS "Seth Kalichman is an excellent scientist passionately committed to saving lives through the prevention of HIV/AIDS. This excellent volume examines the detailed history of HIV/AIDS denialism as well as its damaging impact throughout the world. HIV/AIDS denialism and its proponents have created confusion when the clear provision of scientifically accurate communication was most needed. At all levels, denial of AIDS results in a failure to face up to one of the greatest health threats of the century." -James Curran, Dean of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Coordinator of the 1981 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Task Force on Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections" and former Director of the CDC HIV/AIDS Division. "AIDS denialism is destructive and rides on the back of mistrust in science and medicine through our internet world. Seth Kalichman brilliantly uses a psychological lens to expose the wacky world that creates and maintains its presence despite the untold numbers of deaths and suffering it has caused. The book is a wake up call to policy makers and scientists, particularly in places most affected by the pandemic, that denialism must be confronted if we want to bring it under control. A must read for those who want to know more about the power and influence of pseudoscience." -Michael Merson, Director, Global Health Institute at Duke University and Former Director of the World Health Organization's Global Program on AIDS. "Inadequate health policies in South Africa have reportedly led to some 330,000 unnecessary AIDS deaths and a spike in infant mortality, according to estimates by South African and US researchers. This carnage exceeds the death toll in Darfur, yet it has received far less attention. Seth Kalichman, a US clinical psychologist, shows in Denying AIDS how words can kill." -John P. Moore, Nature 459, 168 (14 May 2009) "In this important book, Seth Kalichman provides important insights into the convoluted world of AIDS denialism … . It is … directed at HIV scientists and care providers, and at journalists who cover HIV-related health issues. … This book is a superb and unique examination of a fascinating and important phenomenon. It is also an excellent read and will be interest to all who have an interest in the HIV pandemic … ." -Ronald C Hershow, Doody’s Review Service, May, 2009 "Kalichman has recently written a book about the denialist movement, entitled Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy, which outlines the history of denialism as well as its consequences. … Kalichman … book will help people diagnosed with HIV or AIDS. … the book will help sort out the misinformation that exists on the topic of HIV and AIDS and can cause such harm to newly diagnosed people just looking for legitimate information." -Bryan Birtles, Vue Weekly, Issue 717, July, 2009 "Kalichman’s book is well-written, timely, thoroughly researched … . serve as a resource for anyone interested in critical thinking … . It’s also the best work I’ve seen … in evaluating the psychology of the believers causing all the trouble. … So buy it! All royalties go to the purchase of anti-retrovirals for people in Africa, so you not only help yourshelf but you help undo some of the damage done by denialists … ." (MarkH, Science Blogs, May, 2009) "Kalichman’s most impressive accomplishment is … globally understood the denial discourse. … Denying AIDS includes six chapters. … Kalichman’s book is a major accomplishment. He points us in the direction where our work must go next. We must do as he recommends, confront our denials knowing that we will never conquer them." (Anthony Lemelle, Journal of African American Studies, Vol. 13 (3), September, 2009) "Kalichman (Univ. of Connecticut; The Inside Story on AIDS, 2003) has written a poignant and well-documented exposé of the scientific and sociopolitical forces involved in the organized movement of AIDS ‘denialists’ … . These naysayers reject science, contradict medical advice, and actively spread myths, misconceptions, and misunderstandings to refute reality. Their malignant distortions can result in more individuals refusing to be tested, ignoring their diagnoses, or rejecting lifesaving treatments. … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers." (P. Wermager, Choice, Vol. 47 (1), September, 2009) "The book focuses on AIDS denialism and people who do not believe that HIV causes AIDS. … ‘Denying AIDS’ will help create more awareness of denialism and that his event at the Co-op was just a start." (Kira O’Grady, The Daily Campus, December, 2009)

From the Back Cover

Denying AIDS: Denialism, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy Seth C. Kalichman, Storrs, University of Connecticut Paralleling the discovery of HIV and the rise of the AIDS pandemic, a flock of naysayers has dedicated itself to replacing genuine knowledge with destructive misinformation—and spreading from the fringe to the mainstream media and the think tank. Now, from the editor of the journal AIDS and Behavior, comes a bold exposé of the scientific and sociopolitical forces involved in this toxic evasion. Denying AIDS traces the origins of AIDS dissidents’ disclaimers during the earliest days of the epidemic and delves into the psychology and politics of the current denial movement in its various incarnations. Seth Kalichman focuses not on the "difficult" or doubting patient, but on organized, widespread forms of denial (including the idea that HIV itself is a myth and HIV treatments are poison) and the junk science, faulty logic, conspiracy theories, and larger forces of homophobia and racism that fuel them. The malignant results of AIDS denial can be seen in those individuals who refuse to be tested, ignore their diagnoses, or reject the treatments that could save their lives. Instead of ignoring these currents, asserts Kalichman, science has a duty to counter them. Among the topics covered: Why AIDS denialism endures, and why science must understand it. Pioneer virus researcher Peter Duesberg’s role in AIDS denialism. Flawed immunological, virological, and pharmacological pseudoscience studies that are central to texts of denialism. The social conservative agenda and the politics of AIDS denial, from the courts to the White House. The impact of HIV misinformation on public health in South Africa. Fighting fiction with reality: anti-denialism and the scientific community. For anyone affected by, interested in, or working with HIV/AIDS, and public health professionals in general, the insight and vision of Denying AIDS will inspire outrage, discussion, and ultimately action.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1st Edition. 2nd Printing. edition (February 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387794751
• ISBN-13: 978-0387794754
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a Clinical-Community Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut. I have dedicated my career to preventing the spread of HIV and improving the health of people living with HIV/AIDS. My research program is focused in the southeastern United States and South Africa. I am also the Editor of AIDS and Behavior, a leading social and behavioral science peer-reviewed journal. Although this is my sixth book, Denying AIDS is my first book written for a general audience. All of the royalties from Denying AIDS are donated to purchase HIV treatments in Africa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good summary of one of the world's most damaging denialist movements, July 30, 2010

By 

lx (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy (Hardcover)

While I had known about HIV/AIDS denialists for quite a while, I was unaware just how widespread and ghastly denial of HIV/AIDS is. This book gives a fairly concise history of how denialism came to be -- the history of HIV/AIDS research, a rundown of denialist arguments, and the major denialist players; an unlikely marriage of homophobes and people in literal denial of their own HIV status, containing precious few scientists, no clinical AIDS researchers, and a good number of frauds selling vitamins and CAM remedies. To get an idea of how bad the problem really is, even outside of Africa, see the data from a fairly recent CDC research project published in JAIDS:

"Our data provide some insight into issues that could have an impact on the effectiveness of HIV prevention in minority MSM populations. The belief that HIV does not cause AIDS was more likely in all 3 minority groups (48% to 54%) than in whites (27%) and was common among HIV-positive persons."

Those numbers are disastrous. And unlike holocaust denial, climate change denial and 9/11 "truthers", these people are actually contributing to the deaths of HIV-infected people with their reckless promotion of pseudoscience. Previously, I had thought vaccine denial was about as bad as it could get.

In summary: Not perfect, but well worth a read, largely well constructed, and sheds light on a fairly unknown, yet crucial topic.

The one problem I do have is that the proofreading of this book is utterly atrocious. I counted well over 40 grammatical, spelling and typographical errors, in what is a fairly small book; nearly 10 in the introduction alone. This makes the book a lot less readable and damages its credibility somewhat. I would have expected better from Springer.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars When I interviewed them under the pretext of being interested in their views, they displayed suspicious personalities, September 26, 2011

By 

Mira de Vries - See all my reviews

This review is from: Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy (Hardcover)

My favorite subject is: myself. So I was thrilled to discover that Kalichman has written a book all about me, an AIDS denialist. He has never met me but that doesn't matter because all of us denialists are the same anyhow.

I used to call myself an AIDS dissident because of my, as I learned from this book, "crusading religious and political overtones" and not as I thought previously, because this word means dissenting, having a different opinion from most people. Kalichman explains that what characterizes my opinions is not dissent but sameness. True, some denialists deny the existence of a disease called AIDS, some accept that AIDS exists but deny the existence of HIV, some accept that both AIDS and HIV exist but deny that HIV causes AIDS, some accept that HIV causes AIDS but deny that HIV is sexually transmittable, some deny only that the HIV test is reliable, and some don't deny any of these things but reject the drugs. All of us who hold such opinions are "'suspicious thinkers' prone to conspiracy theories and other wacky beliefs." We are no different from holocaust denialists like "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."

Like them, I have "encapsulated delusions ... conspiracy-theory-prone personality style ... and ... tend to be overly independent in [my] thinking." Furthermore, I am "characterized by a fear of homosexuality, or even homophobia." It is understandable that Kalichman thinks this of me. I live in the Netherlands, where different-sex marriages are still legal, though who knows for how long. That's why my spouse (male) and I (female) grabbed our chance while we still could and married although we realized that by doing so we would arouse suspicion of being homophobes. What surprises me is that Kalichman seems to be saying the same thing about my dissi-- I mean denialist friends, some of whom are men married to men. Are they, too, homophobic? Perhaps they are closet heterosexuals who married only to deflect gossip?

In any case all of us denialists have "paranoiac personalities ... It is no wonder that a widespread sexually transmitted virus that is prevalent in gay communities would attract the interest of the paranoid personality." Some of us have "a form of mental illness" which is identifiable by the fact that we disagree with our doctors.

Kalichman even knows my political views. I am on "the extreme socially conservative right" and my favorite targets are "the most marginalized, including gay men, racial minorities, drug users, and the inner-city poor." I do wonder whether Kalichman has ever been to the Netherlands.

All this I read about myself in Chapter One. To my disappointment, Chapter Two is not about me but about denialist Dr. Peter Duesberg, an acclaimed scientist who is, however, a "contrarian" and likes to contradict all reputable scientists including himself. This "character flaw" is derived from his being German-born and his father having served as a doctor in the German army during WWII, explains Kalichman.

In Chapter Three the author restates denialist positions from the angle of different medical specialties, namely virology, immunology, pharmacology, and epidemiology. Chapter Four is about denialist journalism, "Bla-Blah-Bloggers" and the conspiracy theories our paranoid personalities conjure up. Thankfully there are also good scientists like Canada's AIDS campaigner Mark Wainberg who puts our wild fears of persecution to rest by stating "I think that people like Peter Duesberg belong in jail."

Chapter Five is again not about me but about presidents. "Ronald Reagan's silence about AIDS is shamefully legendary." What was the matter with Reagan, did he think a person's health is his own private business or something? President Bush who "intentionally appointed underqualified individuals to his AIDS Advisory Council" was no better. (Note that this overtly suspicious statement is quoting not the denialists but the mainstream Union of Concerned Scientists.) Clinton was just a little better, having vastly increased AIDS spending, but still not enough, of course. Furthermore Clinton did not repeal a federal ban on access to clean needles, not that any other president did. Worst of all, though, were Africa's presidents Mandela and Mbeki who felt their nation's money could be better spent on food, clean water, and housing than on USA-patented drugs.

In Chapter Six, the last one except for appendices, Kalichman states that his trust in mainstream medicine is based on "credibility, contemporaneousness, and common sense." As a paranoid denialist, I don't understand that. Credibility means choosing whom to believe. His choice is different from mine. So what? Contemporaneousness means according to him "if a scientific article was published before 2000, I would say it can be considered dated, perhaps even ignored." We might as well ignore all of the tens of thousands of articles that he claims support the existence of AIDS, because a decade after publication every one of them will be dated. As to sense, apparently mine is as common as his, because we both agree that "No one research finding ever proves anything" and "Do not purchase a medical treatment without digging deeper to learn more about it." Perhaps he himself is a closet denialist?

Too bad that Kalichman says he is not planning to write more about denialism, although he does maintain a blah-blah-blog of his own on this subject. The book does not answer all of my questions. How is it that I know people who tested positive for HIV in the late eighties and early nineties, who don't take antiviral drugs, and yet they are alive and well, though some are graying somewhat at the temples? In spite of low T-cell counts and soaring viral loads they are living active, productive lives. According to the Durban Declaration of 2000 they were destined to die within five to ten years of the test. Surely I'm not deluded that by being acquainted with me they have attained immortality, or even longevity? I know plenty of people who passed away young though most did not happen to be seropositive. Even Kalichman confesses that "Everybody dies eventually." How does he explain that these people haven't so far?

They can't be just visions or voices in my delusional mind. I shake their hands and sometimes even hug and kiss them. I was not born in Germany but in the Netherlands (admittedly not a big difference to some Americans). My father did not serve with the German army during WWII, he was on the other side. And what about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, being as delusional as I am, does he hug and kiss my relatives who were gassed and incinerated at Auschwitz and Sobibor? No? Then what about these long-term non-drug taking AIDS-test survivors? The reality of their existence, not the opinions of AIDS-denialists, exposes AIDS propaganda for the sham that it is.

Copyright © MeTZelf

14 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From skepticism to denial, May 6, 2009

By 

N. Gongmahk (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy (Hardcover)

AIDS denialists deny reality: that HIV is a virus or that HIV causes AIDS. In "Denying AIDS," author Seth Kalichman examines how and why a person might regress from healthy, constructive criticism of scientific "paradigms" to vehement, and all too often deadly, denial of reality. For Kalichman, the answer cannot be found in the science of HIV. The science is sound. Legitimate questions about what HIV is (it's a retrovirus) and whether it causes AIDS (it does) were answered by comprehensive scientific studies many years ago. So Kalichman feels no need to defend HIV/AIDS science by countering the denialists' ill-informed criticisms in detail. Instead, he finds his answers by probing the psychology of the denialist.
What he finds is informative and sobering.
Kalichman draws disturbing examples from a bizarre cast of denialist characters. Loch Ness Monster fanatics, crazed hey maaaaan psychedelics, right-wing extremists, these are the people who pass themselves off as "experts" and tell HIV patients to stop taking their medicine, that they don't have a virus and won't get sick. These characters would not seem out of place in a Dan Brown novel. Yet they are all too real, and, as Kalichman demonstrates, despite the red flags their behavior should raise, they've managed to deceive many people, including most tragically a former president of South Africa. They can deceive others, Kalichman shows, because they've already managed to deceive themselves. They urgently know the Loch Ness Monster exists, they fervently know the government is out to kill us all with artificial sweeteners, and they absolutely know HIV is a fake. They're not lying, because they believe it themselves.
While the result of believing in the Loch Ness Monster is at worst a lifetime of summers spent scanning the surface of a lake, the results of HIV denial can be fatal, for individual denialists and for others who are denied treatment or exposed needlessly to the virus as a result of denial.
Ultimately Kalichman does not blame the denialists or call them evil, with the possible exception of people who profit financially by selling quack cures. Their denial, he writes, is rooted in their psychology. I feel that Kalichman is being too generous on this point. Can it be true that the most famous denialists, the ones who have caused the most death around the world, are simply mentally ill? Isn't there some component of irresponsibility involved, especially when a once-respected scientist like the AIDS denialist Peter Duesberg twists science to deceive others? Isn't there some moral transgression involved when a denialist calls Africans "schwarzes" and gay people "homos" and snidely refers to Africans as "those people we all love so much?"
Whether AIDS denialists are mentally ill, a little evil, or some of each, they are a public health problem that is not going away. Kalichman has done a great service by exposing the roots of this fatal phenomenon.