Under Our Skin

Under Our Skin

Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease is a 2008 documentary film about Lyme disease, focusing on the controversy surrounding "chronic" Lyme disease. The film was directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson, who became interested in the subject after his sister contracted Lyme disease. The film had its theatrical premiere on June 19, 2009 at the IFC Center in New York City.

The film argues that persistent infection with Lyme disease is responsible for a variety of debilitating symptoms. The film presents advocates of the position, including International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), then-Connecticut Attorney General and current United States Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Center for Science in the Public Interest. The position is at odds with that of major medical bodies including the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Academy of Neurology, who do not recognize "chronic" Lyme disease as a legitimate diagnosis. The film portrays the Infectious Diseases Society of America as a group laden with conflicts of interest and briefly discusses Richard Blumenthal's antitrust charges against the society. The film, described by the New York Times as "inflammatory" and "polemic", shows individual patients responding to long-term antibiotic treatment and portrays the IDSA as "an organization riddled with conflicts of interest." Variety noted that the film "sides with those advocating unconventional treatments, gives gatekeepers from Infectious Diseases of America their say."