Following the success of Channel 4’s It’s A Sin, a Bristol HIV charity has spoken out on how far treatments have come since the 80s, with the potential ending of all HIV diagnosis in the UK looking ‘very real.’
It’s A Sin - which aired last Friday (22 January) - documents the reality of the emergence of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s during a time when many were shamed for their sexuality.
It shows the realities of the epidemic and how people were dying rapidly due to little understanding of the illness and consequently a lack of treatment for it.
Aled Osborne - who lives with HIV and works for Bristol HIV support charity Brigstowe - says we should "feel privileged" that there is now effective treatment that can stop HIV being passed on to sexual partners, and women can start a family without fears their child might be HIV positive.
“HIV now can’t be passed on in any way which is phenomenal," he said.
"We now live in an era of ‘PEP’ (post exposure prophylaxis) and ‘PrEP’ (pre-exposure prophylaxis) - two ways of using traditional HIV medication to prevent getting HIV.
“The potential of ending all HIV diagnosis is very real."
"Most people were coming out as gay and dying of AIDS at the same time"
Aled says It’s A Sin has been “great” for raising awareness of HIV.
“The fact that we have a series specifically surrounding HIV on prime time TV makes it so much more accessible," he added.
“And if you think back to five years ago - a series like this wouldn’t have been commissioned let alone shown.
“What is has done is really highlighted and spoken to the collective grief and trauma the LGTB+ community was living through.
“It really highlighted the shame of not only being homosexual at that time, but that most people were coming out as gay and dying of AIDS at the same time.
“The story of HIV now in 2021 is completely different, we are not suffering, we are thriving.”
But Aled says that although people may not be physically dying from HIV now, the stigma around the illness still very much remains, and that in itself is the “killer.”
“One in three people who are HIV positive have faced stigma and discrimination.
“Those living with HIV are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression. We still have a long way to go to break the stigma.”
In a series of articles to mark World Aids Day, Bristol Live interviewed a number of people living with HIV, one of whom was Martin who spoke of the mental impact of HIV.
He said: "We’ve faded out of the public eye as many people think HIV/AIDS has been ‘cured’ and is a thing of the past whereas the insidious psychological effects of the stigma and prejudice is a real problem nowadays.
What are HIV and Aids?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, which is its protection against diseases. When left untreated, the virus leaves the body with little or no protection against illnesses and infections.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is categorised by a collection of illnesses or symptoms. With developments in medication, people can recover from AIDS though they will still be living with HIV.
When a person living with HIV is on treatment, the virus is totally repressed and the immune system can work as needed.
HIV treatment is now so good that people living with HIV can take one or a few pills every day to keep the virus totally under control, meaning they are no longer able to pass the virus on and will not experience any symptoms. This state is called ‘undetectable’.
HIV can be passed on through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal secretions or breast milk. The most common ways to contract HIV are sex without a condom and sharing needles, syringes or other drug injecting equipment. The vast majority of diagnosis (around 90%) are a result of sex without a condom.
How common is HIV?
According to Terrence Higgins Trust - set up in memory of Terrence Higgins who was one of the first people known to die of an Aids-related illness in the UK - the most recent estimate suggests there were 105,200 people living with HIV in the UK in 2019. Of these, around 6,600 are undiagnosed so do not know they are HIV positive.
As Aled explains, Bristol is classed as a ‘high prevalent’ area, with 2.7 people out of every 1000 living with HIV in the city.
“There are one thousand people living with HIV in Bristol in care - but it’s about the people we don’t know and aren’t testing because of stigma that is the main concern,” says Aled.
“We are busy, we get many referrals from people or from the HIV clinic at Southmead
"At the beginning of calls to our helpline doubled from the same time last year.”
Brigstowe offers a range of services to those living with HIV in Bristol.
These include testimonials, advice and support, peer support as well as a Migrant and Asylum Service and a Recently Diagnosed Workshop. They also have a support group at the HIV clinic at Southmead Hospital.
If you or someone you know is HIV positive and looking for support, email info@brigstowe.org or ring 0117 955 5038.
