Awareness of HIV may be on the rise, but disinformation, myths and misplaced beliefs are still very much out there when it comes to the condition.
Early discussions around the announcement that Zack Hudson (James Farrar) will tonight be diagnosed with the condition has proven that more information needs to be out there.
As the storyline unfolds, viewers – and Zack himself – will have a lot of questions. Is he going to be okay, what does treatment involve and how common is it for straight men to contract HIV are just some of the elements of online chat around the topical story.
EastEnders is working with leading HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust. Metro.co.uk caught up with Medical Director Dr Kate Nambiar, who was able to answer the questions you have – and the answers you need to know.
Will Zack be okay?
Someone like Zack who has just been diagnosed with HIV might feel upset, shocked or angry. They may have trouble taking in the things they’ve been told.
But it’s vital to know that you can now live a long, healthy life with HIV.
It’s recommended that everyone living with HIV starts treatment as soon as possible after being diagnosed.
People living with HIV take a combination of drugs which is usually taken in the form of daily pills and, for many, this is just one tablet once a day.
The treatment works by stopping the virus from reproducing and reducing the amount of virus in the blood to what is called an ‘undetectable’ level.
This means that the virus is still there, but it is in such small amounts that it can’t be passed on to anyone else. It also means that the immune system is protected from the virus, so treatment keeps people living with HIV healthy.
It usually takes between three to six months for someone to become undetectable when they start treatment.
How many straight people are living with HIV?
The most recent estimate suggests there were 106,890 people living with HIV in the UK. New HIV diagnoses have been declining since their peak in 2005.
In 2021, 2,692 people in England were diagnosed with HIV. The vast majority of these diagnoses were from sex, with around half of these being heterosexuals and the other half being gay and bisexual men (Gov UK).
Straight people are far more likely to be diagnosed with HIV late, meaning damage to the immune system has already begun. People diagnosed late are estimated to have lived with HIV unaware for at least 3 to 5 years (Gov UK).
In 2021, more than half of heterosexual men (63%) and half of women (50%) were diagnosed late – this compares to 37% of gay and bisexual men (Gov UK). This is likely driven by a belief that they are not at risk of HIV, which is why it’s great to see storyline’s such as Zack’s challenge this incorrect narrative.
How do I get tested for HIV?
Getting tested for HIV has never been easier with the result being available quickly – sometimes even the same day. There are so many ways of getting tested, and with National HIV Testing Week on the horizon, there’s no better time to get tested and know your status. Head to startswithme.org.uk for more information on HIV testing.
How common is it to get HIV from injecting drugs?
The vast majority of people get HIV through sex. It can also be passed on by injecting drugs as well as from mother to baby during childbirth (known as vertical transmission), but these are less common. (AIDSMAP)
Only 2% of new HIV diagnoses in 2021 were from injecting drug use and just 0.7% of all new diagnoses were vertical transmissions (Gov UK).
As steroids are often injected, there are risks associated with sharing needles including damage to veins, hepatitis B and C and HIV (NHS).
Will Whitney and the baby be okay?
All pregnant people in the UK are offered an HIV test to reduce the number of babies born with the virus. Thanks to this and the incredible treatment advances, vertical HIV transmission rarely happens in the UK now.
People living with HIV do give birth to HIV negative children. If someone who is pregnant tests positive for HIV, they’ll be advised to start treatment straight away.
This is a crucial way to prevent the virus being transmitted to the baby during pregnancy or birth. Read more on preventing HIV transmission during pregnancy.
Has Zack passed on HIV to other people?
We’ll have to see how the storyline pans out, but it’s important to know that HIV can only be passed on through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, anal mucus and breast milk. It’s not passed on by spitting, sneezing, coughing, kissing or general social contact.
HIV is not passed on easily from one person to another. Some people think if you have unprotected sex with an HIV positive person once, you will definitely contract the virus – but that isn’t the case.
However, you are more likely to pass it on to others in the early months of contracting it when the virus is replicating a lot. If Zack’s used condoms then it is feasible that he wouldn’t have passed it on to anyone.
Zack’s HIV story – what has the show said?
Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer said: ‘EastEnders has never shied away from covering sensitive issues and Zack’s story is one of these.
‘There are still so many myths and disinformation surrounding HIV, so working closely with Terrence Higgins Trust has enabled us to really understand what it is like for those that are diagnosed with HIV and we hope that this storyline will bring more awareness of HIV and what it is like to live with the virus in 2023.’
If you have any questions about HIV, you can contact Terrence Higgins Trust’s free and confidential helpline THT direct. Call 0808 802 1221 between 10am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
National HIV Testing Week promotes regular HIV testing, particularly from groups most affected by HIV including gay and bisexual men and Black people of African ethnicity. It starts Monday 6 February.
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