Use of dietary supplements among people living with HIV/AIDS is associated with vulnerability to medical misinformation on the internet

A convenience sample of 268 men and 76 women living with HIV was recruited from AIDS services and clinics in Atlanta, GA. Participants completed measures of demographic and health characteristics, dietary supplement use, beliefs about dietary supplements, internet use, and an internet evaluation task designed to assess vulnerability to medical misinformation.One out of four PLWH currently used at least one dietary supplement product excluding vitamins. Dietary supplement use was associated with higher education and greater use of the internet for health-related information. Dietary supplement users also endorsed greater believability and trust in unfounded claims for HIV cures.Dietary supplement use is common among PLWH and is associated with a broad array of health information seeking behaviors. Interventions are needed to reduce the vulnerability of PLWH, particularly dietary supplement users, to medical misinformation propagated on the internet.Dietary supplements play an important role in the lives of many people living with chronic and often life-threatening medical conditions. Dietary supplements generally consist of diverse products that are typically not part of current mainstream, conventional health care [1]. Concerns about dietary supplements generally stem from the potential for adverse interactions with conventional medicines and patients replacing evidence-based health care with untested remedies[2]. Studies show that dietary supplements are often used by people living with HIV infection. The most common dietary supplements in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) are used to 'boost immune functioning' such as mega-dose vitamins, and anti-oxidants and body cleansing products such as teas and herbs to remove 'toxins'[3]. As many as half of PLWH may use complementary and alternative medicines, which can include dietary supplements [4].Dietary supplement users tend to engage in a range of health promoting behaviors [3,5]. Studies of cancer patients show that