A ‘gay disease’ - fact or fiction?
Over the past two decades, there has been a relentless belief that HIV/AIDS could be a ‘gay disease’. This is due to the fact that a large majority of those infected by the virus, was found among the gay community right from the beginning of the pandemic to this day. Yet statistics show that infected heterosexuals outnumber those from the gay community, although the rate of infection of the later is reportedly continuing to rise according to the Health Protection Agency.
Nevertheless, scientists recently found out that HIV originated from monkeys. So the virus which causes AIDS seemingly infected Chimpanzees from Cameroon, before the virus was passed onto humans in the 1930’s.
Gay Community: “It's got to do with prejudices, lack of awareness and a lack of experience.”
Charlie Yates, pictured left, is a 25-year-old shop assistant from Bath. He is gay and HIV negative.
He said: “Do I think it’s a gay disease? Absolutely not. It’s a world disease, a world epidemic.
“I think it’s an incredibly old fashion point of view. If you go out in the gay community or clubs, and even among my circle of friends, gay people are amongst those who are aware. They are very much subconscious about safe sex and STI’s.”
Mr Yates confesses he was having regular HIV tests every six months when he was single to make sure he was alright.
He doesn’t mind about people’s misconception about HIV. “I think it’s just got to do with prejudices, lack of awareness and a lack of experience.”
Phillip Wragg is a sector development officer of Gay Men’s Health at the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), which is the UK’s leading HIV organisation.
Click play to hear his view on the myth.
Richard Lane, a 48-year-old East Dulwich gay man who is in a civil partnership believes that the Brithish population has had a change in mentality about HIV stereotypes. However, he admitted that it used to be a big concern among the gay community when the pandemic first broke out.
Play