A man said he felt instantly numb after receiving a text message after he finished work.
Paul Childs, who lives in Aigburth, thought his life was over when he read a text message standing in a corridor of Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. The 43-year-old believed he was being “handed a death sentence” weeks before he was due to celebrate Christmas with his family and friends.
Scared to confide in anyone, worried about stigma and unsure what the future would hold, Paul felt “numb”.
READ MORE: Women arrested on suspicion of murder as man found dead in house
READ MORE: These are the faces of 48 Merseyside criminals who were jailed this month
Paul, who now works for an energy company, told the ECHO: “It was just a huge shock to receive that message. It feels so long ago now but I still remember feeling numb. I had just finished work and was standing in a corridor so didn’t expect it at all.”
In usual fashion, Paul had gone for a routine sexual health screening at the start of a new relationship. But this time it was different. He had received a text less than a week later telling him to come back in to discuss his results and “immediately” he knew something was wrong.
Paul, originally from the West Midlands, discovered he was HIV positive and struggled to come to terms with his diagnosis for some time. Before his results, Paul, like many who grew up during the AIDS epidemic of the 80s, remembered the tombstone adverts of the “gay plague” and because of this his first reaction was “Is this going to kill me?” and “How long will I have to live?”
Working for an airline which required strict medical certificates, Paul worried he would be fired and disclosed his status for the first time to a union representative at work. Not long after this, he told his sister, Georgia, as he knew she would understand having worked as a nurse.
Paul kept his status to himself until he heard the infamous comments Nigel Farage made during BBC’s Leader’s debate. The politician said “We’ve got to put our people first” before claiming migrants were using the NHS for HIV treatment.
He said: “It was Nigel Farage’s comments that spurred me on to come out as it were. It was during my election cycle as a Liverpool Liberal Democrat candidate and I knew the media was desperate for stories so I thought it was the right time and place to do it. I thought it would be a good way to challenge what Nigel had said and what others thought.”
Paul shared his story in light of National HIV Testing Week, which is celebrated annually in February. Although there is still no cure for HIV today, people living with the virus, like Paul, aren’t being handed “death sentences”.
The virus can be treated by taking one pill a day to stop the virus from replicating, allowing the body’s immune system to repair itself and those who are on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), cannot pass the virus on as undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U).
People can also take a pill called PrEP, which prevents people from catching HIV if taken effectively, while PEP can stop you from becoming infected if you take it within 72 hours of exposure to the virus.
Kellie Welch, HIV intensive support lead from Sahir House, which has been supporting people living with and affected by the disease since 1985, said: “Knowledge is power and undetectable equals untransmittable. It’s a message of hope for everyone. These days you can get results within minutes, not days. Empower yourself as HIV does not discriminate”.
HIV Testing
It used to take weeks to get the result of an HIV test, but now it can be done in the comfort of your own home by taking a self-test with just minutes to wait before finding out your status, or a postal test which is sent to a lab and screened for both HIV and syphilis at the same time.
The free test kits are small enough to fit through a letterbox and arrive in plain packaging with information and signposting to support alongside the test. If a positive or “reactive” result is given then a confirmatory test in a sexual health clinic is necessary to make sure the result is correct.
Tests can be ordered here.
Sign up for the ECHO’s LGBTQIA+ newsletter
Win a £100 Aldi voucher to help with those shopping essential
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25454244/Screenshot_2024_05_18_at_12.02.42_PM.png)
