Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewODay1.  Andrew also appears on Academia.edu: http://independent.academia.edu/AndrewODay

Far Left: Jack The Ripper The Terrible Legacy

By The Whitechapel Society with a chapter by Andrew

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Left: Doctor Who in Time and Space

Edited by Gillian I Leitch with two chapters written by Andrew. Errata.

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Above:

Pink News feature -

Doctor Who, omnisexuals, and penis envy

REVISED -

An Outing With The Happiness Patrol

“My LGBTQ writing, meanwhile, saw me developing as a gay writer, and looking at television and literature contextually. I think I need to have matured a bit in order to take on LGBTQ writing; matured, in the sense, that I am happy in my identity as a gay man, and am not closeting my homosexuality (as I even did to Tim and James for a long time) or trying to deny it to myself. One has to be happy with one’s homosexuality to be able to think through gay issues properly and I have generally come-out since the late 1990s. I am generally ‘happy’ with life now, and have done volunteer work as part of the Gay Men’s Team for Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) in Oxford, having now tested Negative for HIV three times. ‘Happy’: there’s that word that runs through my Pink News feature “Doctor Who, omnisexuals, and penis envy”, mixing LGBT writing with my interest in Doctor Who. I’m not impressed with that title; they wanted the word ‘penis’ in the title to get people to read it. Now I think it should be called something like “An Outing with The Happiness Patrol” (see revised version). Basically, I am arguing that the 1988 story “The Happiness Patrol” critiques modern-day (read 1980s) British society by presenting in exaggerated form a society where happiness is devoid of meaning since everyone is forced to be happy with their lot, whereas in new Doctor Who, Captain Jack is truly happy with his sexuality where he can be open about who he is. And the feature is deliberately playful in tone to echo the playfulness of new Doctor Who and illustrate how one can use language freely – which was more so on a gay website, and now on this website, than in an academic piece. So it’s actually a very adult piece, even though it may seem ‘immature’. It’s been edited somewhat as well since the original looked at Russell T. Davies’ treatment of heterosexuality a bit more to illustrate how LGB sexualities are normalised. Then there’s my LGBTQ encyclopedia writing which really tries to get to grips with the different types of gay writing under consideration (generically, thematically, and stylistically). I want to address the issue of having ‘maturity’ in relation to my entry on ‘Gay Autobiography’ because this is a genre which involves a shift from the closeted gay man, a psychological double being, who is one thing on the surface and another underneath, and the gay man with a full identity who is writing about who he really is and you basically can’t write proper gay autobiography until you are whole or understand the issues involved until you accept how your own life is.”

Above: Andrew collecting for World AIDS Day 2009 in The Clarendon Centre, Oxford.

“And to my volunteer work for Terrence Higgins Trust which involved me working with the Gay Men’s Team packing condoms once a month, going to the gay pubs and club once a month and distributing condoms as well as information leaflets, and helping out at Gay Pride and collecting money for World AIDS Day once a year. And I’ve been thinking about this. And I’ve been thinking about how, as I noted above, I was exposed to what AIDS was in the 1980s through watching Rock Hudson in Dynasty and being petrified by the ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance’ television campaign with its haunting and unforgettable images. And then there were all those documentaries about people living with AIDS and the entertainment shows seeking to bring the disease to public attention, all of which I secretly watched on videotape. And I can link all this in with one of the subjects I taught at the University of Winchester – Media Studies – just as I taught the British Queer as Folk as an example of fulfilling a different kind of Public Service remit from the BBC, one that specifically caters to minorities like me. Because in the 1980s there was this mass media campaign surrounding AIDS, and today there seems to be no comparable campaign, and that is dangerous. It gives the impression that AIDS is no longer an issue in the gay world or in general, because of the absence of representation, and part of the aim of the more personal Outreach is that it raises awareness, just as awareness is raised that HIV is a concern in the world in general by people wearing red ribbons on World AIDS Day. And THT do campaigns all the time. And Outreach aims to make sex safe in a fun way by distributing all those different flavoured condoms”.

“There have been other means of collecting, and raising awareness, for World AIDS Day beyond the street-collecting I have done. To mark World AIDS Day 2010, for example, a bitter-cold day which saw us collecting in the Oxford Westgate Centre, Matthew Stringer organized an event where from 6am to midnight a group of students from the University of London held ‘a non-stop, 18-hour busk-a-thon at Southwark Underground Station’ which was to ‘include performances from X Factor finalists Princes & Rogues and Diva Fever, as well as Danielle Hope, winner of BBC1’s ‘Over The Rainbow’’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2010/november/november26.htm ). The students were to ‘take over the central atrium of the Underground station, serenading commuters with a series of performances from singers, dancers, circus clowns, and other famous faces’ with ‘THT volunteers…on hand to raise awareness of HIV, collect donations, and hand out red ribbons.’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2010/november/november26.htm ). And in 2011, when I was not present, ‘Terrence Higgins Trust…invit[ed] people across Oxford to join a special flash mob and show support for World AIDS Day…[with] The flash mob form[ing] a human red ribbon on Corn Market Street at 1.00pm, with participants dressing in red clothing to show their support for people living with and affected by HIV‘ (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2011/November/THT-stages-Red-Ribbon-Flash-Mob-to-mark-World-AIDS-Day-in-Oxford)”

“When I was growing up in the 1980s, because of Section 28, same-sex relationships and gay sex were not taught in my schools. I recall from one class in Oxford a condom being described as like a ‘sock’ but one which is put on a man’s penis before it is inserted into a woman. I also remember one activity we had to do in my school in Milton Keynes where we had to write a piece on how sex-education affected us individually. So I basically had no choice but to write a piece of fictional prose where I described the discussion about safer-sex I was going to have to try to initiate with a girl. It is probably writing activities like this that got me into the habit of role-playing generally, telling people first that I was heterosexual and later bisexual and even trying desperately to deny the fact that I am gay to myself and to fit in with other boys. So with the media campaigns about HIV/AIDS, I had to teach myself about safer activities involved in so-called ‘alternative’ sexual practices. So even though the situation is improved today, THT fulfils a vital role in instructing about gay sex and even teaching young gay men about how to feel comfortable in their sexual identities which challenges the notion of ‘compulsory heterosexuality’, where heterosexuality is presented as natural and all other sexualities are in some way deviant.” 

“Indeed, Terrence Higgins Trust launched a campaign called ‘Bum Boy’ (www.bumboy.org.uk) teaching gay men in London how HIV is passed on during unprotected anal sex. The website states that ‘From 20 November until 13 December 2009, specially-trained teams of THT staff and volunteers’ would ‘tour over 40 gay venues across Soho and central London, Vauxhall and the East End, distributing condom packs and handing out information on the campaign. Throughout December, there’ would ‘also be three special hour-long ‘Bum Boy’ pub quizzes at gay venues across the capital. The quizzes’ would ‘test gay men on their knowledge of how HIV is transmitted, with prizes including underwear and ‘Bum Boy’ T-shirts’ (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/november/november23v1.htm ). Images of the campaign appeared on ads in the London gay press and were also seen on posters, condom packs and wallet sized information cards inside liquid filled travelcard holders’ (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/november/november23v1.htm ). Deputy Head of Health Promotion Marc Thompson’s comment that ‘Many men become sexually active having left school without the basic HIV facts they need to stay safe’ (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/november/november23v1.htm ), emphasises the notion of an alternative education for gay men. Along these educational lines, in October 2009, Terrence Higgins Trust held two-hour sexual health workshops for gay or bisexual men at London universities, tellingly called ‘What they didn’t tell you at school’, and delivered at King’s College London, Royal Holloway (both interestingly colleges where I did post-graduate degrees), City University, University of Westminster, SOAS, London Metropolitan, Brunel, University of East London and Heythrop College (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/october/october2.htm ). These workshops differed, for example, from the Manchester based City & Guilds course on HIV, ‘designed for people interested in HIV and AIDS or working in a role where knowledge of the issue would be beneficial to their work’ (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/october/october19.htm ), or the course which helps people already with HIV in East Sussex become experts in their condition (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/september/september16.htm )”. 

“Then there’s the way in which THT does not encourage abstinence from sex, since such abstinence is not in the benefits of gay men’s emotional welfare, but promotes safer sex and in a fun way. So there have been “Drugfucked” campaigns, the “Get Checked Out, Get Back Out There” campaigns of 2005 and 2008, and the “Get it On” campaign (with, for example, workers wearing “Get It On” T-shirts at Oxford Pride and providing ‘Get It On’ ‘tattoos’ for people on the day, as well as providing condoms in ‘Get It On’ packs). The 1987 massive government “Don’t Die of Ignorance” campaign, which consisted of television advertisements (for example, on prime-time BBC1) and leaflets, emphasised the need for awareness about HIV/AIDS as opposed to ‘ignorance’ but contained haunting images. THT’s campaigns, both about HIV/AIDS and other STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Infections) are not designed to be haunting and emphasise the importance of continuing with sexual activity but in a safer way: ‘Get it On’ highlights the need to get the condom back on as opposed to abstaining from sex, and “Get Checked Out, Get Back Out There” the importance of getting back out into a gay sexual environment once one has been tested for STI’s. The “Get Checked Out, Get Back Out There” campaign highlights the way in which the mass media television campaign of the 1980s has been replaced by other means of expression also geared towards other STI’s. Originally running in 2005, the campaign included “adverts of sexy men in their underwear, but with visible signs of an STI – a sore, rash or discharge” and “The waistband of the underwear” featuring “the name of the infection” with “One of the images” appearing “normal apart from STI printed along the waistband, to highlight that some infections have no symptoms at all" (http://gaydarnation.com/UserPortal/Article/Detail.aspx?ID=21255&sid=5). The STI’s focussed on were syphilis, gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, NSU and herpes. The 2008 campaign was intended to “include gay bar washroom panels, roadside adverts near gay venues in major gay centres, phone boxes near London gay venues, adverts in London Underground stations and cigarette kiosks on Manchester’s Canal Street” as well as adverts in some of the gay press.” “The campaign also includes a special edition of the magazine Exposed, posters for use in gay venues, condom packs and boxes of mints” with the condoms and sweets being given out by Terrence Higgins Trust and other health promotion teams (http://gaydarnation.com/UserPortal/Article/Detail.aspx?ID=21255&sid=5).” 

“On July 21 2010, it was announced that Terrence Higgins Trust would launch a new campaign to remind gay men in London of the risks of unprotected sex and HIV based around the statistic that 1 in 7 gay men on the London gay scene has HIV. The THT website notes that ‘Funded through the Pan London HIV Prevention Programme, the campaign features an iconic symbol of London, the red Routemaster bus, with the ‘1 in 7’ statistic displayed in the destination panel on the front. It ran as adverts in London gay magazines, on Gaydar, and as posters in gay bars, saunas, and NHS sexual health clinics. The campaign ran for twelve weeks from the end of July 2010’ (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2010/july/july21.htm). After Brighton, London has the highest HIV prevalence of cities in the United Kingdom, and that for gay men regularly out on the scene is higher than the Health Protection Agency estimates for gay men in London generally.” 

“One of the things that is so horrific about HIV/AIDS (particularly for me in the 1990s and 2000s) is the stigma associated with the disease. I’m not just referring to the incorrect view that because someone is gay they will contract HIV (as expressed a long while back by a minor character in EastEnders who, upon learning that a gay character had HIV, did not want him handling food, and said that GAY stands for ‘Got AIDS Yet’) or the myths back in the 1980s that one could catch HIV by using the same cup as an infected person (in EastEnders Dot Cotton incorrectly assumed that Colin Russell was HIV-positive since he was gay, and refused to drink from cups he had used until she eventually accepted that her views about the transmission of HIV were wrong and ultimately became friends with the character). What I’m referring to is in addition to the fear of not living to fulfil my talent, the very real-fear of living in a big city, being passive, and contracting HIV always represented a sense of failure for myself, of actually having done something wrong to have put myself in that position (a view of me that some seemed to share). And THT encourage the view that it is alright to be gay and having a lot of gay sex, and that one will not necessarily contract HIV. For me, it’s different with other illnesses such as diabetes, which I have, because there doesn’t seem to be the same stigma involved there. And this stigma, as well as the preventative issues mentioned above, is one which needs to be continued to be addressed.” 

“It is largely fear that prevents me from testing for HIV regularly, but THT encourages regular testing among gay men. Back in October 2007, testing for STI’s, including HIV, took place at Chariots in Shoreditch (which I know well) every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30pm, with an approximately one week wait for the results (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2007/october/october15.htm). More recently, there are Fast tests where HIV results can be obtained at drop-in-clinics within about 15 minutes (as was the case with my January 2008 test), with more and more sexual health centres opening across the country, and in the Summer of 2009 a Chaps campaign called ‘Better Clinics’ began, co-ordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust, and aimed at reducing undiagnosed HIV in gay men (particularly young gay men) by encouraging them to start regularly attending sexual health clinics(www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/july/july8v3.htm). There was a website (www.betterclinics.co.uk), media adverts, posters, condom packs and pin badges to highlight the accessibility of clinics and dispel negative myths about them such as the misconceptions that they cost money and were not confidential (www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/july/july8v3.htm).” 

“Indeed, a campaign ran from the end of October 2010 for 12 weeks, promoting the fact that ‘a large number of clinics now use a painless finger-prick test to provide results within twenty minutes’, which are ‘free, confidential, and over 99% accurate’. The THT website reads ‘Funded through the Pan London HIV Prevention Programme, the campaign shows two fingers having a conversation about rapid testing, highlighting the benefits of the process. It ran as adverts in London gay magazines, on Gaydar, and as posters in gay bars, saunas, and NHS sexual health clinics’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2010/october/october25.htm )” 

“The fear surrounding STI’s was indeed addressed by Terrence Higgins Trust for Halloween 2010 by ‘marking the scariest night of the year with a myth-busting guide to sexual health clinics for anyone worried about things that go bump (and itch) in the night’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2010/october/october28.htm ). This guide addressed the issue of fear in a playful way rather than using the ‘scare tactics’ of the ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance’ campaign of the 1980s, and was about getting checked out rather than prevention. This guide was in order to encourage ‘people to seek support and get a sexual health check at their local clinic rather than suffering fears in silence’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2010/october/october28.htm ). Divided into seven parts, this guide highlighted the fact that past sexual encounters may come back to haunt one so it is best to get checked out (‘Skeletons in the closet’); the way in which one can get tested further from home so as not to be seen (‘The Vanishing’); the fact that tests and treatments are free (‘No trick or treat costs’); the fact that if one is short of time one can either make an appointment or use a ‘walk-in’ service (‘Feel like you’re turning into a pumpkin?’); the fact that one does not have to give one’s real name and that if one does this is confidential (‘Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde’); the fact that HIV tests are now quicker and easier and can be done in many clinics using a finger prick test while other STI’s can be checked through a urine test (‘Vampires need not apply’); and finally that questions or worries can be answered by the THT Direct line (‘No silent calls’). (http://www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2010/october/october28.htm )” 

“2011 saw a new campaign ‘I Did It’ ‘in an attempt to break down some of the barriers and fears around HIV testing’. The campaign encouraged ‘gay men to share their experiences of taking an HIV test.’ The THT site reads ‘I Did It’ provides ‘information and advice around HIV testing, including where men can find their nearest clinic and what to expect when they arrive. Men who have already tested - whatever their result - will be able to add their story to a searchable map of the UK, so that others can find information on testing in their area. The website also has discussion threads, a clinic finder, and video clips of men talking about life after testing HIV positive.’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2011/february/february14.htm ).” 

“The period of 2011 to 2013 have seen a variety of other initiatives on the part of THT to raise awareness of HIV and of HIV testing and the following is a survey of those. The THT site explained that ‘Terrence Higgins Trust’ was ‘launching two free sexual health workshops for gay and bisexual men in the West Midlands during March [2012]. The workshops, called ‘Curious Cupid’ and ‘Sex Toy Story’, aim[ed] to fill any gaps in knowledge that men might have when it comes to safer sex and sexual health. Both sessions [were] free, confidential and…[took] place at Terrence Higgins Trust’s centre in Coventry. ‘Curious Cupid’ [was] held on Thursday 15 March from 6.45pm - 9pm and ‘Sex Toy Story’ on Thursday 29 March from 6.45pm - 9pm.’ Furthermore, the site raised the issue I mention above of the lack of gay sex education in schools and the way in which THT seeks to redress that: ‘Sex education in schools and colleges is not consistent, and few courses cover gay sex in any detail. Terrence Higgins Trust’s two-hour group sessions address the issues around sexual health in a fun and engaging way. ‘Curious Cupid’ aims to give men the confidence to approach men they fancy, including what tools to use and how to handle rejection. ‘Sex Toy Story’ covers everything men need to know about sex toys, from how to use them to how to stay safe whilst having fun…Ewan McPherson, from Terrence Higgins Trust in Coventry, said: “As sex education in schools is still very much geared around procreation, with little attention paid to sex as recreation, we know many gay men leave the education system with big gaps in their knowledge. Our new courses have been designed to increase guys’ confidence, which should help them make good, informed decisions about the type of sex they have.’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/February/Terrence-Higgins-Trust-launches-free-course-to-help-gay-men-get-the-most-out-of-sex).  Furthermore, in July 2012 it was announced that THT was to launch a guide to help gay men avoid ‘condom mishaps’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/July/Terrence-Higgins-Trust-launches-guide-to-help-gay-men-avoid-%e2%80%98condom-mishaps%e2%80%99). This education is important since when I was starting out I was unaware of the need for lubrication and was so petrified of catching HIV that I insisted on using two condoms which, little did I know, increases the chances of the condoms breaking. Moreover, on November 30 2012  ‘Digital health publisher Streaming Well and leading HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust…announce[d] the launch of a video series designed to educate young people on the basics of HIV’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/November/Streaming-Well-and-Terrence-Higgins-Trust-Tackle-Ignorance-of-HIV). This is an example of THT expanding onto media platforms which are used by the young. THT has also made available more free condoms such as distributing them during Sexual Health Week (17-23 September)(http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/September/Sexual-health-week-road-show-helps-young-people-access-free-condoms) and at festivals (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/August/Notting-Hill-Carnival-revellers-urged-not-to-let-unsafe-sex-ruin-the-party).” 

“In the area of HIV testing, there has been increased testing in gay establishments such as saunas (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2011/October/THT-launches-rapid-HIV-testing-for-gay-men-at-The-Brighton-Sauna ) and THT has also made demands for home testing which was illegal in the UK (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2011/October/New-research-from-THT-suggests-widespread-demand-for-HIV-home-testing). Public figures have also taken HIV tests to raise awareness (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2011/November/Mayor-of-Telford-takes-HIV-test-to-raise-awareness-for-World-AIDS-Day). Also, in March 2012 ‘Terrence Higgins Trust…partnered with GaydarRadio to create a series of spoof public transport announcements, encouraging gay and bisexual men in London to ‘mind the gap’ between their HIV tests. The announcements, which [could] be found at Terrence Higgins Trust’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/thtcommunity), [were] launched to promote the charity’s new campaign Mind the Gap. Voiced by GaydarRadio’s breakfast show presenters Neil Sexton and Debbie Ryan, they contain[ed] cheeky references to London’s gay scenes in Soho and Vauxhall, and advice on where men [could] find their nearest testing clinic’ (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/March/Terrence-Higgins-Trust-and-GaydarRadio-warn-London_apos_s-gay-men-to-%e2%80%98Mind-the-Gap%e2%80%99-between-HIV-tests). On top of that ‘Terrence Higgins Trust…launched an addictive platform game with an important message for gay and bisexual men: the more men you have sex with, the more often you should screen for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)’ which make it easier for HIV to be passed on. The site explains: ‘The game, ‘Man Up’, sees players attempt to bounce between brightly coloured beds without either falling off the screen, or being knocked off by a ‘love bug’. The higher they manage to bounce, the more points they receive; but points can only be banked through a visit to the floating clinic. At key stages in the game, the player receives messages containing important facts on sexual health, including how STIs are transmitted and guidance on how often to test for them. The game also includes links to website with further sexual health information, and a clinic finder with details of players’ nearest screening service‘. (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/April/Terrence-Higgins-Trust-encourages-gay-men-to-%e2%80%98Man-Up%e2%80%99-about-STI-screening,-with-new-platform-game) Again, this is an example of THT using media enjoyed by the young. 23-30 November 2012 also marked the first National HIV Testing Week (http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Media-centre/Press-Releases/2012/October/Terrence-Higgins-Trust-announces-England%e2%80%99s-first-National-HIV-Testing-Week-for-gay-men).”

“Since my last HIV test in January 2008 (that’s over 8 years ago; how time flies) I haven’t had that many sexual partners. For one thing, I’m not this gorgeous twink anymore so opportunities are scarcer. For another thing, I was very busy between Autumn 2011 and Spring 2013 taking an LLB at the University of Birmingham, and between Autumn 2013 and Autumn 2014 taking an LLM. So I’m not petrified of HIV in the way I used to be. Also I feel that I have achieved a lot in life so there is not that same added pressure on me to succeed. But HIV continues to be a real presence in the world and there are those who cannot escape it. One such person is UK Positive Lad whose webpage can be found here and who engages in fundraising activities to support people living with HIV such as the Walk for Life, along with (in the past) Doctor Who celebrities such as Katy Manning, Sophie Aldred, Louise Jameson and Freema Agyeman, who have formed part of Team GT (Gay Times). As of Summer 2014, however, I have resumed volunteer work for THT in Oxford such as condom packing, taking part in the procession for the Cowley Road Carnival, and working to raise awareness in Banbury, as events around the country continued.”

“2015 saw the beginning of an HIV storyline in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks where, in the January 21^st episode, character Ste McQueen was diagnosed with the virus. This is the first time that a British soap opera has presented a regular gay character as HIV-positive, EastEnders having dealt with making the issue visible in relation to heterosexual character Mark Fowler through the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, which was important in itself. Hollyoaks worked closely with Terrence Higgins Trust in order to present the issue as realistically as possible. It occurs to me that the soap opera is an ideal genre for dealing with HIV, not only because the soap deals with issues that affect people emotionally in real life but also because of its form as a continuing serial. Unlike the US prime-time soap, the British prime-time soap is not split into seasons but is on-going throughout the year. This on-going nature is key to other types of storyline such as pregnancies and those hit with cancer and HIV is an ongoing issue in the lives of people who are diagnosed positive and does not go away; one cannot escape from it. Not only must people go through the trauma of the HIV test (captured in Hollyoaks by skilful camera work where we are presented with a shot of Ste’s eyes on hearing the result and by the soundtrack going silent where Ste is oblivious to what is being said to him). But also the virus lingers in the body for many years, while people take medications, before it, in some cases, develops into full blown AIDS. During this time, those who are infected must deal with the effect that it has on their relationships both with their partners, with their family, and with people generally, and indeed with how to tell them in the first place (Ste’s relationship with his husband Jean Paul showed signs of strain where Jean Paul instinctively moved away when Ste attempted to kiss him and Ste was terrified of those others close to him finding out about his condition, viewing him differently and blaming him as does happen in a subsequent episode). The existence of the virus and its effects are brought to the attention of viewers, here through the mass media. During the end-credits for the 21^stJanuary episode, an announcer revealed that support was available for those affected by the issue at channel4.com/support, and Terrence Higgins Trust has a visible presence on Facebook and Twitter with a link to their website for those affected, accompanied by a screen-grab from the series. Will Harris, now Head of Media at Terrence Higgins Trust has said that a well-researched soap opera storyline is worth any number of sexual campaigns in reaching a target group and Kieron Richardson, who plays Ste, spoke out about the storyline in a variety of places including on ITV This Morning."