Eliza Jane Scovill

Eliza Jane Scovill (December 3, 2001 – May 16, 2005) was the daughter of AIDS denialist Christine Maggiore, an HIV-positive activist who publicly questioned the link between HIV and AIDS, and supported HIV-positive pregnant women who want to avoid taking anti-HIV medication. Eliza Jane's May 16, 2005 death from AIDS at the age of three and a half sparked a social and legal controversy over her mother's decision not to take precautions during her pregnancy to prevent transmission of the virus, and her parents' decision to not have her treated for HIV infection during her life.

AIDS diagnosis and death

In 1992, Eliza Jane's mother, Christine Maggiore, tested positive for HIV. She subsequently became involved in volunteer work for a number of AIDS charities, including AIDS Project Los Angeles, L.A. Shanti, and Women at Risk. However, following an interaction with prominent AIDS denialist Peter Duesberg in 1994, she began to question whether HIV causes AIDS. Maggiore came to believe that her positive test may have been due to flu shots, pregnancy, or a common viral infection.