A different story than what you’re told by Bono, Oprah and Barack.
First, the tests have no standard for interpreting their meaning.
- From the paper: “At present there is no recognized standard for establishing the presence or absence of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 in human blood.”
Translation: They do not predict illness in people who are not already ill, morbidly impoverished, taking Aids drugs or street drugs.
- “The risk of an *asymptomatic [not chronically ill] person with a repeatedly reactive [positive]serum sample developing AIDS or an AIDS-related condition is not known“
The tests have no specific, inherent meaning, but meaning is assigned to persons who are in the CDC’s ‘risk group’ They must be ‘interpreted’ for risk group, and not applied to the general population.
- “Clinical studies continue to clarify and refine the interpretation and medical significance of the presence of antibodies to HIV.”
Note the double-speak – “presence of antibodies.” There is “no standard” for determining the “presence or absence” of antibodies in these tests. The statement above is irrelevant, it has no meaning to this standardless test.
- “AIDS and AIDS-related conditions are clinical syndromes and their diagnosis can only be established clinically. EIA testing [that’s this test] cannot be used to diagnose AIDS, even if the recommended investigation of reactive specimens suggest suggest?] that the antibodies toHIV are present.”
The tests don’t diagnose, the clinician does, based on – not testing positive or negative – but on the CDC’s ‘risk factors,’ like Blackness, poverty, homosexuality.
- “Sensitivity for HIV-1 antibodies was computed based on the clinical diagnosis of Aids.”
The tests are validated, not by matching the results with actual infection with any particular, identifiable particle – the “standard” that is missing, but
by using them on people, pre-supposed to be ‘at risk’ for ‘Aids’, that is, people pre-diagnosed with clinical “Aids.”
by using them on people, pre-supposed to be ‘at risk’ for ‘Aids’, that is, people pre-diagnosed with clinical “Aids.”
The tests don’t give the diagnosis – the clinician does – no testing needed. The tests are said to work if and only if you are in the group that is pre-supposed to be