Fact Check: HIV is incurable; social media home remedy is misleading

Hyderabad: Several social media users have claimed that a mixture of papaya leaf extract, black seeds or kalonji, and cloves can potentially cure HIV permanently.

The caption to the viral post reads, “This will help you cure HIV permanently if you only believe.” Is the cure the home remedy or the belief in the home remedy?

As per the latest scientific data, a cure for HIV is yet to be formulated. HIV can lead to AIDS, a lifelong condition that can only be controlled, not cured.

Papaya and its fruit, seeds, and leaves are frequently utilised in a variety of culinary and folk medicine practices. Papaya leaf is used for the treatment of many diseases as a home remedy. According to Healthline, black seed oil contains antioxidants and bioactive compounds. It may benefit skin and hair health, help reduce inflammation, and support weight loss.

So, is it true that a simple homemade concoction can cure HIV?

Let’s find out.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false as there is no clinically proven medication for HIV so far. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions, ‘HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).’

‘There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life,’ it added. CDC further says, ‘With proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective HIV treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.’

Regards to papaya having medicinal properties to fight HIV, a study shows, ‘More research studies are required to corroborate the main mechanisms of action shown by the phytochemicals present in papaya leaves as medicinal agents.’

We also found an article that has debunked 9 HIV cure myths on the website of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills. In the article, the first myth talks about whether there is a cure for HIV or not.

The fact reads, “There is no cure for HIV. There is one documented case of Timothy Ray Brown being cured, but we do not know how to safely replicate those findings in other humans yet.”

Another study concluded that, “The sustained sero-reversion induced by Nigella sativa concoction in this HIV patient means that all HIV cells at all stages in infected cells in the body must have been lysed. Therefore, there is a need to further study more HIV patients on Nigella sativa therapy and its virucidal effect on this pandemic virus.’

Hence, it is evident that neither black seeds nor papaya leaf can cure HIV.