Making decisions about therapies

January 2007     View PDF     En español

Information: consider the source

As you’re learning about HIV and possible treatment approaches, be aware of false and misleading medical information and claims about therapies. When you’re reading about HIV and HIV treatments, consider the source of the information.

Pharmaceutical companies that market HIV therapies have an interest in selling products and may not always provide a balanced view of their products. Pharmaceutical company advertising should be viewed with skepticism.

Also, community and physician forums and educational materials are being paid for increasingly with pharmaceutical company money. Just because a pharmaceutical company supports an educational forum doesn’t automatically mean that the information isn’t useful, but you have a right to ask questions about the speaker’s involvement with the company—like whether or not they received money from the company. Consider how that might influence their ability to provide unbiased information.

There are many people who under the guise of alternative/complementary therapies, propose to have “cures” for HIV, cancer and many other life-threatening diseases. Often they will claim that they have a therapy that is being suppressed, shrouded in controversy and government conspiracy.

In reality the vast majority of all such claims are outright fraud. In nearly all cases, individuals prey on the vulnerability and hopes of people who are frightened and make a pretty penny in doing so. For more information, read How To Identify AIDS Fraud.