Philippines warns against geckos as AIDS treatment

(note they only show the gecko from the waist up)

And just how stupid are some people? Stupid enough to rival the fat.

The Philippines warned Friday against using geckos to treat AIDS and impotence, saying the folkloric practice in parts of Asia may put patients at risk.

Environmental officials have also expressed alarm about the growing trade in the wall-climbing lizards in the Philippines. An 11-ounce (300-gram) gecko reportedly sells for at least 50,000 pesos ($1,160).

Geckos are reportedly exported to Malaysia, China and South Korea, where they are used as aphrodisiacs and as traditional medicine for asthma, AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis and impotence.

Their use as medical treatments has no scientific basis and could be dangerous because patients might not seek proper treatment for their diseases, a health department statement said.

"This is likely to aggravate their overall health and put them at greater risk," it added.

Treatments for asthma are easily available and affordable, while there are antiviral drugs to control the progress of HIV, it added.

Geckos are carnivorous, nocturnal reptiles from the family Gekkonidae that are found in tropical countries. They are known for their sticky footpads that allow them to climb vertical surfaces, including glass.

And they sell insurance.

That should be a tip-off.