HIV/AIDS in the Media

This article was written by AIDS Calgary’s information/support worker.

People living with HIV/AIDS have not been portrayed in a favorable way in popular media. Cast members on shows that I’ve watched are generally depicted as very sick and or dying. They have also been shown as selfish and irresponsible individuals who make poor choices that affect everyone around them. News outlets and documentaries have also done similar things. This is cause for concern in my mind because the media in conjunction with other systems shape our ideas and thoughts.

I struggled to find a show that did not vilify people living with HIV. Season two of Queer as Folk was the only show that came close enough to try to drive the point I would like to make. The narrator of the story (Michael) begins to date Ben, a professor who is living with HIV. Michael is initially uneasy and reluctant when he learns of Ben’s status. His misinformed friends and family influence him to end the relationship in order to protect himself from contracting the virus. Though madly in love, Michael ends the relationship citing different reasons. It is also at this time that he chooses to learn more about HIV/AIDS, safer sex practices, and sero-discordant relationships. Shortly after that he finds himself fighting to win back Ben. Michael’s adopted heterosexual son, Hunter who is also living with HIV, goes through similar struggles. He is subject to discrimination at school as well as the justice system. He too is able to overcome stigma, discrimination, and relationship woes.

The show emphasizes the importance of communication, love, trust, education and awareness, between individuals regardless of their HIV status. It is important to note that the cast members were not defined by HIV. They were everyday people who went about their business like everyone else. Friends of mine who dutifully followed the show use different attributes to describe each member. For example, some recall Ben as the professor, Michael’s boyfriend, the guy who participated in the Liberty ride, Hunter’s dad, the publisher and so on.

So as news sources and other media outlets bombard us with a barrage of information regarding the criminalization of HIV over the next couple of weeks. Please keep in mind that people living with HIV are not deliberately infecting other individuals. The cases being considered are not a representation of everyone living with HIV/AIDS. We need to fully understand the context of the story before making any conclusions.