The lingering stigma faced by people living with HIV and a hit TV series inspired a group of friends to launch a support group and counselling service.
Hayley Smith, 49, said Channel 4’s It’s A Sin 2021 mini-series created by screenwriter Russell T Davies had rekindled memories of the myths surrounding the virus when she was growing up in the 1980s and the “tombstone” public information campaign.
But despite it being more than 40 years since the first reported case of AIDS was officially recorded, Hayley said she was shocked to learn that myths and stigma around the disease still exist.
