[davidmathers]

It was a late 80's / early 90's thing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duesberg_hypothesis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS_denialism#History

[Symmetry]

Well, it was a late 80s / early 90s thing among people who weren't crackpots. As evidenced by the OP, some people are reluctant to abandon the idea even though there is now overwhelming evidence against it.