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01/03/09-01/05/09

HIV Skeptic Christine Maggiore Dead at 52

The Los Angeles Times has confirmed with the Los Angeles County coroner’s office that 52-year-old HIV skeptic Christine Maggiore died Monday.

Maggiore, who was HIV-positive, self-published the book What if Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong. She founded Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives, a support group that challenges “common assumptions” about AIDS.

In 2005 her 3-year-old daughter, Eliza Jane Scovill, died of what the coroner’s office ruled was AIDS-related pneumonia.

The Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Department of Child Protective Services briefly investigated Maggiore for child endangerment -- she had refused to take antiretroviral drugs while she was pregnant, and she breast-fed her daughter.

Ultimately, no charges were filed against Maggiore, as both agencies found she had taken her daughter to see physicians on several occasions.

Maggiore was an outspoken critic of the media coverage of her daughter’s death, even sending a letter to the Times in an attempt to get it to retract a story. The Times refused to publish the letter, saying, “If facts in an article are wrong, a correction would be published. However, no correction is warranted in this case.”

On several occasions Maggiore pointed to the health of her husband, filmmaker Robin Scovill, who she said repeatedly tested negative for the virus despite numerous years of unprotected sex. She said her son, born in 1997, also tested negative. (Advocate.com)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Name: Darwin
Date posted: 2009-01-14 12:13 PM
Hometown: Hollywood, CA

Comment:

Kevin, I like the web site idea, but when someone does so many logical back flips to make two plus two come out to five, and uses so many lies, distortions, and most disturbingly OMISSIONS in order to make their case, it gets hard to believe in their good intentions. Christine was pathological to the extreme, but not like the mothers who drown their babies because they think they're possessed. She was more like the mother who makes up a fake abductor to divert attention from the dead baby later found hidden in her closet. This whole phenomenon, and these remarkable posts, are a fascinating but stark portrait of the madness we're all potentially capable of. One question alone sinks killer Duesberg: why did hemophiliac children suddenly start dying in large numbers of the same rare diseases as gay men? Poppers?!

Name: MARY ELIZABETH
Date posted: 2009-01-13 3:25 PM
Hometown: DC

Comment:

We have no idea what type of pneumonia it was. Her husband just said that it was bilateral pneumonia, meaning she had it in both lungs. Her medical records have not been released, so we don't know whether or not it was PCP. We'll probably never know because I doubt they'll consent to an autopsy. And it really doesn't matter. There is scientific evidence to support that having a compromised immune system can put a person at risk for contracting all sorts of infections...viral, bacterial, fungal. And not having a strong immune system to fight them off could turn deadly. The whole situation is sad. And it's infuriating. I've worked in HIV for over 20 years now, and the AIDS denialist movement has done so much damage. Being skeptical and asking questions is one thing. Twisting facts and telling half truths to prove your point (which has no basis in proven science), is another. I'm sad that Maggiore died in denial. I hope her family finds peace.

Name: Michele
Date posted: 2009-01-13 2:06 AM
Hometown: Granada Hills, CA

Comment:

I worked for Christine at her Alive&Well office one summer, and she was one of the most wonderful people I ever knew. I still can't believe that she's gone. I will miss her so much. No one could articulate the position of the "other side" as well as Christine could. For those of you who side with the orthodoxy, Christine still had a message for you - think for yourself, research for yourself and use your own deductive reasoning skills to draw your own conclusions. We are Americans. We have that right, and no one can take it away from us, even if they all disagree with our conclusions. Personally, Christine and I were of the same mind about HIV-AIDS, and I think she died of run-of-the-mill pneumonia - the kind anyone of us can die from, HIV positive or not. But her message transcends this topic. She showed the world how to stand up for themselves. What Christine lived was a LIFE!

Name: Rico Camacho
Date posted: 2009-01-05 4:14 PM
Hometown: San Francisco

Comment:

Twenty Two years ago when the population of Africa was dying, it was clear to see that they were STARVING to death - Not Aids. Today the intelligent people who have the insight to question what is being fed to them. The FACT remains that she was CORRECT - There is no scientific proof that HIV causes causes. And furthermore, the statement made 22 years ago NEVER stated that it was, it stated that it was likely to cause AIDS. What Christine correctly stated was that this hypothesis was not proven to be a fact until the drug companies saw a great potential for GREED. The Christian Right had a new tool to claim debauchery and the Gay Rights groups got another dose of cash for their silence. There are many aspects that are correct in Christine's Legacy. Intelligence is not given - it is sought out by those affected.

Name: Steve
Date posted: 2009-01-02 3:30 PM
Hometown: Los Angeles

Comment:

I had the pleasure of knowing Christine over the past year and spent some time at her home with her husband and smart son, Charlie. She was very passionate and a loving mother. She leaves behind a rich legacy raising legitimate questions about an orthodox theory that at best is unrefined and at worst a propagated fraud. Whether or not one believes HIV causes a syndrome called AIDS, there are serious questions that to this day have not been answered and evidence that outright contradicts itself. Christine's legacy goes beyond HIV/AIDS. It is about questioning the authorities and standing up for what one believes in, especially when all the facts do not add up. In the end, her legacy will more than likely be vindicated. Rest in Peace, Christine.

Name: MaxFactor
Date posted: 2009-01-01 8:39 PM
Hometown: SA

Comment:

It is sad when any articulate and energetic person is removed from public life and of course our private lives -- especially someone who fruitfully challenges our identities and beliefs. It is VERY typical for causes of death for HIV-positive people to be only poorly attributable to the virus (try reading about the South African gvt. statistics on AIDS-related deaths). We will likely never know the full extent of Christine's status and death, nor should the public need or expect to. The need for comprehensive prevention, treatment and life-positive communities facing AIDS remains no matter what. (I.e. for all of us). I've seen many diagnosed people live and die in South Africa and the USA and feel confident that HIV causes AIDS -- and that antiretroviral treatments and mother-to-child prophylaxis work and are crucial for our future health.

Name: Skeptyk/JeanneE Hand-Boniakowski
Date posted: 2009-01-01 12:34 PM
Hometown: Wells, Vermont

Comment:

Whatever the proximate and ultimate causes of Maggiore's death, her sincere, heartfelt, compassion-driven crusade was simply wrong, and has contributed to suffering and death. Christine's good intentions neither validate nor excuse her willful ignorance and her immoral actions. One can be kind, intelligent and yet still be immoral in some of her actions. It is not moral to encourage people to ignore/reject the fruits of human knowledge in a way that will cause harm. Christine may not have been legally culpable (she was not, AFAIK, a licensed health care therapist), but she was ethically and morally responsible for causing harm. Examples - not analogous, but instructive - include many kindly, well-meaning folks who defended slavery with sincere, heartfelt arguments. Or sweet people who encourage ex-gay "therapy". Neither their delusion nor their niceness forgive their actions, which cause clear harm. AIDS denialism, in its several forms, maims and kills people. Period.

Name: Dawn Winkler
Date posted: 2009-01-01 10:46 AM
Hometown: Gunnison

Comment:

May you rest in peace dear fellow activist and friend. Whereever you may be, my hope is that you are finally free from the lame criticism and fear that is rampant in our brainwashed and complacent society. You will be deeply missed. No matter what happened, mainstream sheeple will say Christine died of AIDS. Just like if anything happened to me, even if it were a car accident, it would somehow be blamed on the fact that I am against vaccines. The rumor mill would enusre that I died from a "vaccine preventable disease". Christine's daughter died from an antibiotic reaction, I know the toxicologist/pathologist that performed the differential diagnosis to find the cause of death. So don't jump to conclusions people. You haven't walked a mile in her shoes, or anyone else's shoes for that matter. Thank goodness for people like Christine who were actually strong enough to ask questions and go against the grain.

Name: VelShan
Date posted: 2009-01-01 9:25 AM
Hometown: Indonesia

Comment:

Someone asked "Have these denialists come up with anything remotely rational?" I am no doctor BUT I demand better explanation from anyone who claim to be a doctor. we were told by scientist that no virus can live outside water and thus will die when blood dries. But they claim that HIV is spread by using same syringe or shaving blade etc. even if sterilized. (I support using disposable syringe or blades but not the logic) In South East Asia they started pushing for disposable plastic forks and spoons because metal spoons can transfer HIV. Do you know how difficult it is to use plastic forks to eat meat? While elite restaurants are still continue using silver spoons. Is HIV a vampire? I demand a true scientific explanation from our scientist who gets good salaries. Not BS fear mongering to support syringe or plastic industry or that so called Aids medicine

Name: John Wantling
Date posted: 2008-12-31 6:10 AM
Hometown: Rochdale, UK

Comment:

When we enter into the murky world of so-called hiv/aids, without having any real insight into how it all began and how the politics, the science, and the medicine turned sour, then the tendency is to take that for granted. We then identify with that murky world, and then defend it to the death, regardless of whether the science or the politics or the medicine is good or bad, or right or wrong. What we do is we defend the conditioning of our brain cells, our thoughts, thus strengthening the process of belief and identity, and in so doing we fit into place, which offers a semblance of security regardless if that security has any real value or not. By default, those who have insight and who ask questions become outcasts or dissident voices. Christine Maggiore offered a voice of reason and truth in what is one of the biggest medical blunders of the time, and it is very sad that her life has come to an end. We love you, Christine, rest in peace…

Name: Fintan Dunne
Date posted: 2008-12-30 11:09 PM
Hometown: Ireland

Comment:

The following is from an email by Christine's husband Robin Scovill. "A week and a half ago, Christine was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and did not conjure the strength to overcome it. She died unexpectedly in her home with her husband and a dear friend." So the pneumonia was not so-called "AIDS-related PCP Pneumonia," a fungal infection of the lungs usually over a protracted period. It was instead a standard bacterial pneumonia. Christine was truly a heroine of our age. Her determination and commitment were inspiring. She faced the untimely loss of her beautiful, young daughter Eliza Jane and the subsequent unfounded campaign against her with a courage that took our breath away. Her achievements in standing up for the right of those labelled with the catch-all diagnosis of AIDS to get medical treatment free from vested financial and medical interests, will in the fullness of time be widely celebrated.

Name: Robert Kuhn
Date posted: 2008-12-30 10:57 PM
Hometown: Los Angeles

Comment:

"The True Believer" by Hoffer relates the effect of low self-esteem in creating fanatics. Denial would be a more fascinating curiosity of this group if it didn't kill innocent children. The behavioral constant with deniers is a sense of outrage at what they perceive as persecution. You rarely see a sober, well-reasoned, balanced comment from such a person. They somehow know the truth with certainty, and 100, 1,000, or 10,000 objective experiments to the contrary have no chance of persuading them they could have been wrong. Whether Tom Cruise losing it with Matt Lauer, or Christine smugly bragging about how healthy she and her daughter were several years ago, there's an intensity that emerges any time they're questioned-- sometimes it's panic, sometimes false bravado. Thank God and probability that her son is HIV free. Of course, to many posting here, that means nothing. To the rest of us, it means he has a good chance for a happy, healthy life.

Name: Nurra Jefferson
Date posted: 2008-12-30 10:47 PM
Hometown: Freeport, NY

Comment:

What difference does it really make what Christine died from? It does not mean it was AIDS. Even those HIV infected can die of other reasons.We all will die of something the point is she was a strong courageous, woman who stood up to the false Medical community (pharmeceuticals who are mainly in it for the money) I believed in her personally. Ihave been a professional health care worker for 24 years, I worked directly as a Primary Care HIV/AIDS Provider . I saw many die and some live very long lives even after abusing their bodies. The anwser about those antiviral meds I feel is that they help some folksand kill others. One's decision to take them is their own and if you are a parent (of sound mind)you have a right to speak for your child. May Christine rest in peace and God bless her for the ability to make her own decision and for how she enlightened us all.

Name: sammray
Date posted: 2008-12-30 8:28 PM
Hometown: Springfield, MO

Comment:

I had the opportunity to email at length with her since 2000. She was a thoughtful and intelligent person who made this dark world a little brighter. Having said that, I gave up my dissidence to some degree in 2007 when I began developing lymphadenopathy related to HIV infection. Christine kept telling me that it wasn't related. I think that, with Christine's death, there needs to be a total reappraisal of the HIV/AIDS situation. Dissident's certainly have valid arguments, but they very often ignore key pieces of evidence that shows a correlation of some kind. Christine is definitely guilty of this. We cannot cherry pick only the facts that suit our arguments; then the dissidence movement is just as guilty as the orthodoxy. It's time for an honest reappraisal.

Name: Rueben
Date posted: 2008-12-30 7:54 PM
Hometown: Keystone, CA

Comment:

Placing a penis in the anus is also fraught with medical risks. For the recipient, there is good evidence to suggest that the rectum and anus are negatively affected over the long term by the insertion and movements of the penis during sexual activity.. Men who are the recipients of penile-anal sex are many times more apt to develop anal or rectal cancer and to lose sphincter tonus, perhaps up to 20 times the national average. Those who put their penis in others' rectal cavities are also more apt to get urinary infections. After all, the penis is bathed in feces or surrounded by fecal residue during the process. The bottom line is that the rectum was not designed for sexual activity. Indeed, because of its one-cell-wall thickness and rich supply of blood vessels, the rectum is almost ʽperfectly suited for infection.' This is undoubtedly the reason that the vast majority of MSM who have gotten infected with HIV practiced penile-anal sex.

Name: Mario C
Date posted: 2008-12-30 7:47 PM
Hometown: Arizona

Comment:

To all of you who are accusing this poor lady of killing her own daughter and herself, you should be ashamed. For once in your pathetic lives can't you shut up and hold your tongue. There is no reason to believe AIDS killed Christine, because by definition AIDS is NOT an acute disease. It doesn't just hit you here today gone tomorrow. Something happened and we will not know until the details come about. With her daughter, she had a reaction to antibiotics. But for all you cowardly and selfish morons who are using this poor woman's death as an excuse to parrot some idiotic and unfounded dogma, do yourself a favor and hold the comments.

Name: Mike
Date posted: 2008-12-30 4:12 PM
Hometown: New York

Comment:

How pathetic to read the nonsense continuing to be spewed forth by the AIDS denialists. That belief, or disbelief, has caused the deaths of over 300,000 South Africans due exclusively to President Mbeki's own denial of HIV as the cause of AIDS. Having lived in San Francisco and witnessed first hand a host of AIDS denialists dying of AIDS, one has to wonder whether there is some deeper mental health issue at play among those who continue, in the face of overwhelming evidence, cling to Duesbergian nonsense of AIDS pathogenesis. This woman, by her own hand and decision, is responsible for the death of her beautiful and innocent daughter and herself. Sad...and criminal.

Name: Destin
Date posted: 2008-12-30 3:34 PM
Hometown: Columbia

Comment:

The Los Angeles County coroner concluded that her daughter died of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia as a result of untreated AIDS. 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. A veterinary toxicologist (and AIDS denialist) retained by Maggiore to review the autopsy report disagreed with the coroner's conclusion, stating that he believed Eliza Jane's death was due to an allergic reaction to amoxicillin. On December 27, 2008, Maggiore died. She was under a doctor's care and was being treated for pneumonia. A doctor familiar with the family suggests that anti-HIV drugs could have prevented her death, but Maggiore's fellow AIDS denialists state that her pneumonia was not related to AIDS and that she died as a result of an alternative medicine treatment.

Name: Bill
Date posted: 2008-12-30 2:51 PM
Hometown: Tampa

Comment:

I'm absolutely floored by some of the responses to Christine Maggiore's nonsensical quackery regarding HIV. I grieve the loss of a mother for her son and a wife for her husband and yet cannot let go of the fact that she allowed her daughter to die to prove an illogical point. The very basis of her argument was flawed at best and she has unfortunately paid the ultimate price for her unfounded beliefs. If HIV RNA is present in the blood %99 of people will suffer immune system destruction and die. Get a clue folks, the mortality and morbidity rates from HIV plummeted after the introduction of triple antiretroviral therapy in 1996, it's irrefutable that HIV is deadly and the cause of AIDS. My condolences to the family, but had she initiated the life sustaining treatments we currently have available, both she and her daughter would be alive. Side effects are better than death.

Name: Carl
Date posted: 2008-12-30 10:24 AM
Hometown: Chicago

Comment:

I'm not seeing any evidence in this article that Christine actually died of AIDS and not something else. Also, the presumption that her daughter died of AIDS is false. Other doctors have looked at the pathology reports and drawn a different conclusion--that she died of an allergic reaction to an antiobiotic. In fact, despite Christine's repeated requests, no tests results were ever released showing that her daughter was HIV positive. Probably this, more than anything, was the reason child endangerment charges were dropped against Christine. Let's see the evidence that Christine actually died of AIDS before we pronounce judgment against her.

Name: Eddie
Date posted: 2008-12-30 9:22 AM
Hometown: Tampa

Comment:

As a gay man who waded through the sewers of the corrupt HIV Industry for 6 years,I was the good little gay boy who did everything they told me and I have denounced the so-called Gay Community on the basis of a born again cult. The Gay Industry has definitely $old gay men out. [HIV] has become self identification in the Western World where [HIV] dresses in drag and carries a nice little rainbow sticker next to picture of the well chiseled jock. Unlike GBLT in the USA,Africans are isolated by the phoney construct of AIDS delivered by Political Denialism,those politicians who have murdered the Continent by pharmaceutical drug dealers. Christine Maggiore was a vessle of truth, a light that embraced GBLT and a thorn for those who opposed,say what you want,think what you want,blog all you want but at least wait for the facts to come out before you begin your genocidal block party

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