World Aids Day has never been more relevant. The Aids epidemic beyond our
shores unfolds on an unimaginable scale. It is almost beyond comprehension
that in the 21st century, 1,400 children should be dying every day from Aids-related
illness.
But on 1 December it is also worth remembering that we still have many important
battles to fight here in the UK; not least against stigma and prejudice and
to restore the human rights of people with HIV. For our World Aids Day issue
we have featured Scott Watts who risked all to
publicly take on his employers for discriminating against him because of his
HIV status. Scott won his case. Every person living with HIV who is working
or seeking work, especially in the caring professions, should take heart from
this significant victory. But the truth remains that it is still only one
battle won in a far bigger war. The moment of true triumph can only be when
HIV positive people will no longer be forced to go through tribunals to uphold
their rights and when every employer (and for that matter: every person) in
the land realizes instinctively that discriminating against HIV positive people
is completely unacceptable. Sadly, there are still too many reasons to wear
a red ribbon on 1 December. But whatever your reasons: personal, political,
or both, wear them with passion and pride.
What we know
As PN went to press, every HIV agency in the land was under siege from journalists
wanting comment on Andrew Stimpson, who claims to have cleared his body of
HIV. We would love to say this case somehow heralds hope of a cure for HIV,
but many years of experience have made us wiser. All we can do is look at
the evidence.
Mr Stimpson tested HIV positive in 2002 at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital
and then tested negative in 2003 at the same hospital. The hospital refused
to confirm that Mr Stimpson had either cleared the virus or that he was “cured”
but insisted the tests were accurate. Until Mr Stimpson accepts the hospital’s
requests for further test, and clearly it is in everyone’s interests
that he does, it is impossible to judge what really happened.
It is also hard to judge the credibility of a story that first saw the light
of day in the News of the World and the Mail on Sunday, especially when Mr
Stimpson signed contracts with both papers. Matters become more clouded when
you consider that Mr Stimpson was possibly involved in a legal dispute with
the hospital prior to going to the tabloids. It is unlikely that this case
represents any real kind of breakthrough in the fight against HIV. It is a
complicated virus that affects all of those infected in different ways. Some
have lived with it since before it had a name with no ill-effects while others
see a rapid decline in their CD4 count soon after infection.
While we wish Mr Stimpson the best of health, the real story is the 40 million
people living with HIV across the globe who are not making tabloid headlines
and should be.
Amanda Elliot, managing editor
