Hollyoaks planning HIV storyline
Hollyoaks will explore another issue-based storyline next year as show regular Ste Hay is diagnosed as HIV positive.
Ste will hear the news in January after having unprotected sex with a stranger, sparking a long-running story which will explore the consequences for him and how he lives with the condition.
The sensitive plot has been planned by the Channel 4 show's bosses for several months. Cast and producers have worked with the Terrence Higgins Trust, a HIV and sexual health charity, while planning the story.
This will be the first time that a British soap has featured a gay character living with HIV, and Ste's journey will explore the effect that it has on his relationship with John Paul McQueen, his children and his physical and psychological wellbeing.
Hollyoaks' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood commented: "We have wanted to tell this story for a long time and while HIV can affect anyone, infection rates in young gay men remain too high and to ignore that is to do the gay audience a disservice.
"Hollyoaks is in a unique position to be able to talk directly to millions of young viewers and if the safe-sex message is not coming through education, we can help with that both on screen and through multi-platform support.
"2015 is Hollyoaks' 20th year and to make that our 'year of safe sex' felt right for a show built upon telling rites of passage stories. With Ste's HIV and other stories for our teenage characters, we will explore the many implications of unprotected sex and hope to encourage thoughtful debate amongst our audience."
The story will unfold following a one-night stand between Ste and a young man called Connor, who is HIV positive but is unaware of his status. Connor is later diagnosed and breaks the news to Ste, who then has to decide whether to take a HIV test himself.
Will Harris, Head of Media at Terrence Higgins Trust, commented: "We always say that a well-researched, well-told storyline in a national soap is worth any number of health campaigns, especially for a stigmatised condition like HIV. It's important because currently whole generations of young gay men are entering adulthood without the confidence they need to negotiate healthy sex and relationships.
"Until we have a statutory programme of sex and relationships education in all schools, that doesn't just teach 'what goes where' but covers bigger issues like self-esteem and respect for others, preventable scenarios like Ste's will continue to be enacted off-screen all over the country.
"Hollyoaks is sending such an important message, not just for young gay men but for anyone who may not have an up to date understanding of HIV, and we think they can do a lot of good by telling it."
Harris added: "What's so powerful about Ste's story is that it's rooted in reality. Every day in the UK, around eight more gay or bisexual men are told they have contracted HIV, most of them from someone who hadn't yet been diagnosed.
"Ste doesn't use a condom because he doesn't see the risk, yet you're far more likely to contract HIV through unprotected sex with someone who doesn't know their status than someone who knows they have HIV and is on treatment.
"Modern drug treatments can help to manage the condition but the virus finds other ways to impact on people's lives. We each have a responsibility to protect ourselves and our partners by using condoms and testing regularly."