A small group of activists,
including several scientists who do not study HIV/AIDS, question the connection between HIV and AIDS,[145] the existence of HIV itself,[146] or the validity of current testing and treatment methods. Though these claims have been examined and
thoroughly rejected by the scientific community,[147] they continue to be promulgated through the Internet[148] and have had a significant political impact, particularly in South Africa, where President Thabo Mbeki's embrace of AIDS denialism has
been blamed for an ineffective response to that country's AIDS epidemic.[149][150][151]