Alternative hypotheses

A small group of scientists and activists question the connection between HIV and AIDS,[52] the existence of HIV itself,[53] or the validity of current testing and treatment methods. Though these claims have been examined and widely rejected by the scientific community,[54] they continue to be promulgated through the Internet[55] and have had a significant political impact, particularly in South Africa, where President Thabo Mbeki's embrace of AIDS denialism has been blamed for an ineffective response to that country's AIDS epidemic