title: The role of drugs in the origin of AIDS.
abstract: It is proposed that the new American and European AIDS epidemics are caused by recreational and anti-HIV drugs rather than by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Chronologically, the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s followed a massive escalation in the consumption of recreational drugs that started in the 1960s and 70s. Epidemiologically, both epidemics derive about 80% of their victims from the same groups of 20-44 year-olds, of which 90% are males. In America 32% of these are intravenous drug users and their children, about 60% are male homosexuals who are long-term users of oral aphrodisiac drugs and an unknown percentage are prescribed the cytotoxic DNA chain terminator AZT, as inhibitor of HIV. Direct evidence indicates that these drugs are necessary for HIV-positives and sufficient for HIV-negatives to develop AIDS diseases. The drug-AIDS hypothesis predicts correctly that: (i) AIDS is new in the US, because the drug epidemic is new, while the HIV epidemic is old--fixed at a constant 1 million Americans since 1985; (ii) despite an increase in venereal diseases, AIDS remains restricted to long-term drug users and small groups with clinical deficiencies; (iii) over 72% of AIDS occurs in 20-44 year-old males, because they make up over 80% of hard psychoactive drug use; (iv) distinct AIDS diseases correlate with the use of distinct drugs, eg Kaposi's sarcoma with nitrite inhalants, tuberculosis with intravenous drugs, and leukopenia, anemia, and nausea with AZT; (v) AIDS diseases are only acquired after long-term drug consumption, rather than after single contacts as the virus-hypothesis predicts. The drug hypothesis can be tested epidemiologically and experimentally in animals. It predicts that most AIDS can be prevented by stopping the consumption of drugs, and provides a rational basis for therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Duesberg
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D015215:Zidovudine