Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
According to a post on the thread, there is a permanent herbal remedy for HIV and herpes. We fact-checked the assertion and found that the claim is completely false.
The Claim
On Threads, a post is being shared that promotes a permanent treatment for infectious viral conditions such as HIV and herpes. The post further states that the product made of pure and natural roots can cure any type of sickness, virus, or infection. The screenshot of the post has been shared below for your reference.
We have already come across several all-in-one solutions on multiple social media platforms. These include topical therapies for the skin and eyes, as well as the assertion that castor oil is a cure for a variety of ailments. We conducted a thorough fact-check to confirm their accuracy.
Fact Check
Does the claimant hold any credibility?
No, not really. It is important to note that the medications are being marketed under the guise of “Doctor IZoya,” who purports to treat both STDs and non-STDs and assures people that they may all have healthy lives. Although the account holder is active on social media, none of these pages indicate that they have any professional experience in allopathic medicine. Furthermore, while selecting the name of the account holder, Doctor IZoya, we were routed to an additional webpage stating that the doctor in question holds certification as a traditional practitioner.
To the best of our knowledge, the following points should be cross-checked whenever interacting with an online doctor:
Credentials of the Doctor: These help verify that the physician is registered with the appropriate medical councils and boards.
A valid medical license: This gives a physician official permission to practice in the relevant jurisdiction.
Measures for Privacy: Every online platform must guarantee the safe management of its users’ personal and health information.
Therefore, if important information is missing, it raises questions about the claimant’s veracity.
Ms. Malvika Phulwani, Clinical Dietician and diabetes educator, advises patients to check the credentials of people offering health information online and stresses the validity of information shared by licenced health educators, doctors, nurses, and other qualified healthcare professionals.
Therefore, the claimant’s reliability is called into question due to the lack of relevant information.
Are the herbal therapeutics that are being recommended reliable?
No, not at all. Upon utilising Google’s translation tool on one of the viral photos, we discovered that the Nigerian product lacked certain specifications.
Since the drug cover did not make it obvious whether NAFDAC had evaluated the product, we checked Nigeria’s Registered Drug Product Database on the NAFDAC’s official site to see if the product was listed, but we were unable to discover it there.
There are no essential details on the medication cover. These included the adverse effects, contraindications, and quantities and purposes of the ingredients.
Moreover, the product makes no mention of any accreditations that attest to the efficacy and safety of medications sourced from Nigeria. These include ISO 15378 Certification, which is essential for primary packaging makers of medicinal products in Nigeria, and WHO Certification, which aids in medication production compliance with international standards.
As a result, using this medicine to treat highly contagious illnesses like HIV and herpes cannot be trusted.
Does the therapeutic being endorsed have any supporting research?
No, not at all. It should be emphasised that each medication that is provided to treat a particular condition needs to go through a rigorous testing and monitoring process. Clinical trials ensure that the manufacturers adhere to rigorous research protocols, uphold ethical standards, safeguard patient safety, and create reliable data for evidence-based treatment.
These studies aim to furnish proof about effectiveness, safety, possible adverse reactions, and directing medical procedures. Furthermore, these studies aid in the development of novel treatments that eventually improve patient outcomes and care.
However, when we searched for research pertaining to the product that was being recommended on the NAFDAC website, we were unable to find any. Therefore, for someone who has been diagnosed with a highly contagious viral infection such as HIV or HSV, utilising the product that the post recommends could be life-threatening.
Are patients suspected of having HIV or herpes advised to self-medicate?
Self-medication is the practice of using medication to treat illnesses or symptoms that one has identified on one’s own without first visiting a physician. Even though this is a widespread practice, particularly due to budgetary restrictions and convenience, there are serious risks involved. Risks include drug resistance, probable delays in obtaining adequate medical therapy, which can be fatal, and ineffectiveness for treating HIV and herpes, which can aggravate or worsen the illness.
Therefore, although self-medication may provide short-term relief, it is not a substitute for comprehensive medical treatment and may have unfavourable effects on individuals who are HIV or herpes positive.
When we asked Dr. Kashyap Dakshini, General Physician if patients with herpes or HIV might self-medicate, he sternly advised against it, citing the high contagiousness of these viral conditions and the need for an immediate diagnosis and treatment plan that can only be created by a medical professional. Dr. Dakshini further explains that, “To ensure proper symptomatic treatment, only clinicians should prescribe and monitor the antiviral medications for the treatment of herpes and antiretroviral therapy. Self-medication without medical supervision can result in inadequate treatment and adverse outcomes.”
Does a herbal medicine have the ability to completely treat herpes and HIV?
Regrettably no. This is due to the fact that such herbal medications lack substantial scientific evidence. These might provide symptomatic relief, but may not be able to completely eliminate the infectious conditions. Hence, their purpose should be confined to as an adjuvant.
Despite significant advances in medical science, it should be made clear that severe viral illnesses like HIV and herpes remain incurable. AIDS-causing HIV, also known as the human immunodeficiency virus, persists in the body even after treatment. This happens because the virus incorporates itself into the host’s DNA.
Antiretrovital therapy, or ART, successfully inhibits HIV replication, allowing those who are afflicted to live reasonably healthy lives. It does not, nevertheless, eliminate the viral infection. Furthermore, a lot of approaches and strategies have been proposed in an attempt to find a cure, yet human studies are required to validate them.
The herpes simplex virus, which causes genital and oral infections, is difficult to completely eradicate from the body. Herpes symptoms are managed using antiviral medications such as Acyclovir and Famciclovir that are prescribed. While, the prescribed medication may reduce the occurrence of HSV symptoms and might reduce the spread but cannot completely clear the virus from the system. It is also worth mentioning that the persistence of HSV symptoms can be a high-risk factor for the development of HIV infection.
Dr. Dakshini adds that although there is research demonstrating the antiviral properties of some herbal remedies, they are not fully effective in treating these infections. He underlines that although these herbs are a safer and natural symptomatic relief, they cannot take the place of the prescribed conventional antiviral drugs. Therefore, it is recommended that patients consult their respective physicians to receive the proper diagnosis and treatment.
Therefore, further research is needed to determine a permanent treatment for viral infections like HIV and HSV, even though medical medicines can effectively manage symptoms, restrict transmission, and potentially improve quality of life.
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