New Zealand’s Health Tribunal has fined former doctor Samantha Bailey over YouTube videos disputing the existence and transmission of HIV, citing public health risks and misinformation.
A former New Zealand doctor and television presenter, Dr Samantha Bailey, has come under renewed scrutiny for online content that disputes established medical science on HIV. As reported in the New Zealand Herald (28 May 2025) by journalist Jeremy Wilkinson, the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal has reviewed recent claims made by Bailey in a series of YouTube videos and issued a further financial penalty.
The Historical Context of HIV/AIDS Denialism
HIV denialism, though discredited by global health authorities, has re-emerged in fringe discussions. Originating in the 1980s with molecular biologist Peter Duesberg, early denialist arguments claimed that HIV was not the cause of AIDS. These views were echoed by groups such as the Perth Group and the Group for the Scientific Reappraisal of the HIV/AIDS Hypothesis. Despite efforts to have their ideas recognised in scientific circles, their arguments were rejected by leading medical journals and institutions, including the British Medical Journal and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
One of the most severe real-world consequences occurred in South Africa, when then-President Thabo Mbeki appointed HIV denialists to his advisory panel and curtailed access to HIV treatment. According to public health researchers, this decision is linked to an estimated 330,000 preventable deaths.
Today, HIV denialism is widely refuted by the international medical community, including the World Health Organization (WHO), which maintains that HIV—if untreated—progresses to AIDS. An estimated 40 million people globally are living with HIV.
Samantha Bailey’s Tribunal Proceedings
Bailey, who had previously faced disciplinary action for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, lost her medical registration in 2022. On 20 March 2025, she was fined NZD $148,000 for breaching standards of professional conduct. A new hearing on 27 May 2025 addressed additional videos in which Bailey disputed the existence and transmission of HIV.
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal reviewed four videos where Bailey questioned the validity of HIV testing, claimed that HIV cannot be sexually transmitted, and asserted that antiretroviral medication causes more harm than benefit. She also stated that gonorrhoea is not a sexually transmitted infection. The content in question was posted after she had been deregistered as a doctor.
According to Wilkinson’s reporting, the Tribunal cited expert testimony during the hearing, including microbiologist and infectious diseases specialist Dr Timothy Blackmore. Dr Blackmore described Bailey’s claims as based on outdated and unsupported theories, noting concern that such messaging could deter people from HIV testing or treatment.
The Tribunal determined that the content breached public safety expectations. In a formal statement, it described Bailey’s material as falling outside the scope of accepted medical science and ruled that it could endanger public health. Abigail Brand of the Professional Conduct Committee supported this view, adding that the content did not constitute valid scientific debate.
Bailey did not attend the May 28 hearing. The Tribunal issued a further fine of NZD $17,000, and stated in its findings that Bailey had shown a lack of insight and responsibility. Under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, only individuals with current registration may present themselves as medical professionals.
Article | Craig Young.
