What is AIDS Fraud?

Many people with AIDS and HIV infection look for additions or alternatives to conventional medical treatment for their disease. Some of these treatments may help people with HIV infection, while others have no effects, or they are harmful.

Some of these latter products and treatments are known by those who sell them to be ineffective. AIDS health fraud is the promotion of an AIDS-related health product or treatment known to be false or unproven.

Health fraud is not unique to AIDS and HIV infection: People have sold phony treatments for various illnesses for many years, despite the best efforts of health-care providers and regulatory agencies.

If you know or suspect a business or person is making false or unproven claims for health products or services, you can help stop them and protect others by reporting it. You can report fraud by calling or writing to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission or the Attorney General's office in your area.

Fraudulent products are not scientifically tested and may harm you.

If you use products or treatments that may not work, you may delay getting proper care and your illness may get worse. Although there is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, there are legitimate treatments that extend and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.

If you offered a treatment that you are not sure is legitimate:

• Take your time! DON'T be pressured into making an immediate decision.
• Get more information from an AIDS agency, hotline and/or your HIV/AIDS knowledgeable physician or other health care provider before trying the product or service.
• Remember that the choice is yours

You must make the final decision when it comes to your health care. While some alternative products or therapies may help, others may have no effect or, even worse, harm you. Use this information to make wise choices, avoid wasting time and money, and find the best possible care.

Don't be fooled!

Be suspicious of any claim that a product or treatment can cure or prevent HIV or AIDS.

Question any product or treatment that:

• is "guaranteed", "secret" or "suppressed"
• is claimed to boost or enhance your immune system
• requires or urges you to stop other prescribed treatments or medications
• you're not supposed to talk about or tell you health care provider about
• is an "experimental" drug that you have to pay for - experimental drugs and treatments are almost always free to patients in drug studies or clinical trials
• uses personal success stories or testimonials to sell the product or treatment
• is sold to cure or prevent several other diseases, such as cancer or arthritis, in addition to HIV/AIDS
• was discovered or tested in a foreign country
• can be purchased only by phone, mail or internet from a single source
  

Questions to Ask:

1. Is the product or treatment available from multiple sources? If not, why?
2. What evidence is there that the product or treatment works?
3. Are there printed materials I can take with me to review?
4. Has the product been approved by the Food and Drug Administration? For what use was it approved?
5. What training or experience in treating HIV/AIDS does the provider have?

Where to get reliable information about HIV/AIDS treatments

• AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service: a cooperative project of the Public Health Service agencies
• National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
  Food and Drug Administration
• National Library of Medicine, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1-800-TRIALSA (874-2572)
• www.actis.org
• National AIDS Hotline - 1-800-342-AIDS
• Project Inform - 1-800-822-7422 www.projectinform.org
• Saint Louis Effort For AIDS - 314-647-1144 or 1-800-337-2437 www.stlefa.org