Christine Maggiore

Christine Joy Maggiore (July 25, 1956 – December 27, 2008) was an HIV-positive activist and promoter of HIV/AIDS denialism.[1][2] She was the founder of Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives, an organization which disputes the link between HIV and AIDS and urges HIV-positive pregnant women to avoid anti-HIV medication.[3] Maggiore authored and self-published the book What If Everything You Thought You Knew about AIDS Was Wrong?

Maggiore's promotion of HIV/AIDS denialism had long been controversial, particularly since her 3-year-old daughter, Eliza Jane Scovill, died of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, which is an AIDS-defining illness. Consistent with her belief that HIV was harmless, Maggiore had not taken medication to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV to her daughter during pregnancy, and she did not have Eliza Jane tested for HIV during her daughter's lifetime.[3][4] Maggiore herself died on December 27, 2008, after suffering from AIDS-related conditions.

  1. ^ France, David (2000-08-28). "The HIV Disbeliever". Newsweek.
  2. ^ "Did HIV-Positive Mom's Beliefs Put Her Children at Risk?". ABC Primetime Live. 2005-12-08. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  3. ^ a b Borger, Julian (2005-09-26). "Mother who denied Aids link faces police investigation after death of daughter". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
  4. ^ Ornstein, Charles; Daniel Costello (2005-09-24). "A Mother's Denial, a Daughter's Death". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-12-29.