Mercedes McQueen

[moonstorm]

Tuesday, September 30 2008, 14:44 BST

By Simon Reynolds, Entertainment Reporter


Jennifer Metcalfe has admitted that she feared being killed off in Hollyoaks after her character was diagnosed with HIV.

The 24-year-old, who plays Mercedes McQueen in the Chester-based soap, told the Daily Star that she sought reassurance from producers upon discovering her upcoming storyline.

She said: "When I heard I was like: 'Oh my God, they are going to kill me off.' So I went to see my producer as soon as I could and asked if they were going to kill Mercedes. Luckily they said no, which was a massive relief."

Metcalfe added that she has relished the challenges presented by her character's new storyline, saying: "I am thoroughly enjoying it, I hope there is more to come."

[lizann]

So i take it Mercedes does not die in Niall's rampage

[xxloopylauraxx]

so mercedes has caught HIV from malachy then?

[StarsOfCCTV]

Considering they had unprotected sex maybe. Pep's will reduce the risk of infection, but she's still at high risk.

[tammyy2j]

so mercedes has caught HIV from malachy then?

I think you have wait 3 months to get test results (like Michaela when she was injected with heroin)

I hope its Tina that dies

[Dr. Tangliss]

You have two tests as the first test might not show the infection hence a 3 month wait. The second test will show up anything if it's present.

[*-Rooney-*]

does that mean that the first test may show a positive result?

[Dr. Tangliss]

Yes it depends on your CD4 count.

[*-Rooney-*]

ok - not exactly sure what that means but i pretty much get the gist

[Dr. Tangliss]

Basically it's a marker of whether or not you have HIV/AIDS. It can show up on your first test, as you may have been infected a while without knowing so. If you have been recently infected with the virus and go for a test straight away, the test may show up negative even though you might be infected. Therefore a 3 month follow-up test is a definte diagnosis of having the disease.