0:00:04.620,0:00:11.620 One of my primary roles in my company is to provide accurate information to the public 0:00:12.129,0:00:19.129 and to society generally about how HIV is transmitted and is not transmitted. I don't 0:00:19.759,0:00:24.700 see that it's my role to encourage people to have the test, but I do feel it is important 0:00:24.700,0:00:28.520 that people have accurate information so that they then can make an informed choice about 0:00:28.520,0:00:35.520 whether or not they have the test themselves. Having a positive diagnosis has many many 0:00:36.059,0:00:43.059 many implications and they all have to be considered before a test is taken. In the 0:00:43.429,0:00:48.749 world today there is still a very high level of prejudice and discrimination directed toward 0:00:48.749,0:00:55.749 people who are living with HIV and that has to be taken into consideration when somebody 0:00:55.909,0:01:02.170 is having the test. Here in the UK it is very difficult to gain employment if you are living 0:01:02.170,0:01:06.520 with HIV, it is difficult to get a mortgage, it is difficult to get life insurance, and 0:01:06.520,0:01:12.570 it is difficult to travel to certain countries in the world. You know there are many many 0:01:12.570,0:01:18.140 restrictions placed on people with HIV because of fear and ignorance. I don't generally give 0:01:18.140,0:01:23.470 advice but if anyone is considering having the test, I guess what I would advise is first 0:01:23.470,0:01:28.640 make sure you have all the information you need in order to make an accurate decision 0:01:28.640,0:01:33.220 to be tested. Once you have that information then you need to think about the impact that, 0:01:33.220,0:01:36.970 that is going to have on your life and you need to consider that very carefully. You 0:01:36.970,0:01:43.110 need to consider very carefully also who you're going to tell, how people might react. One 0:01:43.110,0:01:48.730 of the things that have been very important to me throughout my journey from being diagnosed 0:01:48.730,0:01:54.960 to today is the support I've had in the world. The support I've had from my friends, from 0:01:54.960,0:02:01.960 my family, from my peers, and from professionals who are there to provide me with a service, 0:02:03.060,0:02:09.090 whether it be counselors, coaches, doctors, consultants whatever. Isolation is a killer, 0:02:09.090,0:02:15.430 isolation will kill you. So it is very important, and one of the things I strongly advise people 0:02:15.430,0:02:19.599 to do who are considering being tested, is to think about who is there in the world to 0:02:19.599,0:02:26.200 support? Who is there who is going to positively respond to the possibility that you may be 0:02:26.200,0:02:33.200 HIV positive? Once you have established who those people might be, then it's important 0:02:33.769,0:02:37.340 to think about how you're going to get them to support you, how you're going to get them 0:02:37.340,0:02:40.849 to be there for you, should you have a positive diagnosis.