Rebecca Culshaw’s Substack and recent writings have made a compelling case that the perceived wall separating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and AIDS is not scientifically justified, and that this division has hindered real progress for millions. For decades, patients with CFS have been told they have a fundamentally different illness because they do not test positive for HIV, but Culshaw’s critiques have shown that immune system dysfunction—rather than the presence or absence of HIV antibodies—should be the focus of research and care. Clinical Similarities: Beyond HIV Status Culshaw highlights that the core features of AIDS and CFS—chronic immune dysfunction, susceptibility to infections, metabolic disturbances, and multi-system inflammatory symptoms—are strikingly similar, regardless of HIV status. She argues that restricting AIDS-related research, funding, and recognition only to HIV-positive patients has allowed widespread suffering to go unrecognized and untreated among CFS ...
