Facebook ads push misinformation about HIV prevention drugs, LGBT activists say, ‘harming public health’

 | 
12/09/2019

Facebook users have been bombarded with misleading ads about medication meant to prevent the transmission of HIV, according to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates, who say the tech giant’s refusal to remove the content has created a public-health crisis. The ads have been viewed millions of times in recent months, Facebook’s archive reveals, and LGBT organizations argue they’ve had a dire effect: They’ve scared patients, potentially those who may be most at risk of contracting HIV, out of taking preventative drugs, known as PrEP, even though health officials and federal regulators have said they are safe. Many of the ads appear to have been purchased by personal-injury lawyers and entities affiliated with them. They allege in lawsuits that HIV medications, such as Truvada, actually threaten patients with serious side effects. But groups led by GLAAD, which regularly advises Facebook on LGBT issues, say the ads are “false” and have urged Facebook for months to take them down — to no avail.

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 10/12/2024
10/12/2024
In Bangladesh, where traditional gender roles are deeply entrenched, transgender people face extraordinary challenges in achieving educational and economic success. A study conducted by …
Added on: 10/12/2024
10/12/2024
Father Johan Verschueren, the general counsellor and delegate for the Interprovincial Houses and Works of the Society of Jesus in Rome, expressed his support …
Added on: 10/12/2024
10/11/2024
A queer bar destroyed by Hurricane Helene in September is getting a new lease on life with the help of thousands of donations from …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 10/12/2024
A queer bar destroyed by Hurricane Helene in September is getting a new lease on life with the help of thousands of donations from …
Added on: 10/11/2024
Corey DeAngelis, a prominent opponent of public schools and critic of LGBTQ+ rights in education, publicly admitted to his past involvement in gay adult …
Added on: 10/11/2024
In a wide-ranging interview with longtime radio personality Howard Stern, Democratic nominee for president Kamala Harris shared her views on the “fundamental rights” under …