Data from the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) reveals that only 36% of people are aware that individuals living with HIV and receiving effective treatment cannot transmit the virus to their partners. This information coincides with a storyline on the popular soap opera EastEnders, where character Zack Hudson, played by James Farrar, learns from his doctors that his medication prevents him from transmitting HIV. THT is collaborating with EastEnders to ensure that the show accurately portrays current facts about the virus. This is not the first time THT has assisted the show with an HIV storyline, as they provided guidance in 1991 when character Mark Fowler was first diagnosed.
Following Zack’s diagnosis in January, there was a 75% increase in traffic to THT’s website, as viewers sought up-to-date information. THT believes that Zack’s ongoing storyline is crucial in updating the public’s understanding of HIV, dispelling misconceptions that have persisted since the 1980s, and highlighting the significant medical advancements made in HIV treatment since EastEnders’ previous HIV storyline.
A recent YouGov poll of 2,088 UK adults conducted for THT, the leading HIV and sexual health charity in the country, found that only 47% of people correctly know that someone living with HIV can have HIV-negative children. This misconception is also addressed in the storyline, as Zack and his onscreen girlfriend Whitney, played by Shona McGarty, are planning to start a family now that his blood shows undetectable levels of HIV.
The survey also reveals ongoing HIV-related stigma, with only 42% of Brits comfortable dating someone living with HIV, and just 35% comfortable kissing someone who is HIV positive. Surprisingly, although HIV treatment effectively suppresses the virus and eliminates the risk of transmission, fewer than 20% of people would be comfortable having sex with someone living with HIV and receiving effective treatment.
The Terrence Higgins Trust hopes that Zack’s storyline, in which he is told that his HIV is undetectable and cannot be passed on, will have a significant impact on raising awareness about HIV transmission and combating the persistent stigma. The charity runs its own “Can’t Pass It On” campaign to increase awareness of the strides made in preventing HIV transmission.
Dr. Kate Nambiar, Medical Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, emphasizes the importance of the storyline in showcasing the transformation in understanding HIV since Mark Fowler’s diagnosis in the 1980s. She hopes that EastEnders’ millions of viewers will watch the storyline, educate themselves on the facts, and realize that there is no reason to avoid kissing, dating, or having sex with people living with HIV.
Allan Batcock, a heterosexual man living with HIV, expresses his appreciation for the awareness being raised on EastEnders, as he first learned about HIV from the tombstone advertisements in the 1980s. He shares his personal experience of being diagnosed with HIV and discovering that with proper treatment, he can lead a fulfilling life. He is now married to his childhood sweetheart, who is HIV negative, and they have three children.
Victoria Roscow, a mother living with HIV, adds that while people living with HIV can lead healthy lives, many still face stigma and discrimination due to their HIV status. She commends EastEnders for educating millions of people through Zack’s storyline and demonstrating that HIV does not have to hinder a happy life. Seeing a character struggle after an HIV diagnosis and emerge healthy with a HIV-negative partner and the option of having a HIV-negative child will challenge negative perceptions of the virus and help others with HIV to learn self-acceptance.
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