A March 3 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) features a screenshot of an article headline about HIV.
"'Vaccine-Induced AIDS' - Military Records 500% Increase in HIV after COVID-19 Vax," reads the headline.
The post, which originated as a tweet shared by far-right conspiracy theorist Stew Peters, garnered more than 500 likes in six days. Similar versions of the post have been shared on Instagram.
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The claim is false, according to a Department of Defense spokesperson. Statistics show the average number of new HIV cases per year didn't spike after the vaccine rollout. The tally actually dropped significantly in 2022.
The article cited by Peters includes a clip of a BBC broadcast in which a woman says the COVID-19 vaccine contains a small fragment of the HIV virus.
But the vaccine being discussed in the video had been trialed and never released for exactly that reason – it created HIV antibodies in some participants, according to Full Fact.
The article doesn't give evidence for its claim that HIV rates in the military increased by 500%.
Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, told USA TODAY over email that there is no truth to the article's claim.
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