Glasgow man tells how HIV 'saved him' on World Aids Day

The Glasgow man, whose identity we are protecting, says the shock diagnosis was the jolt he needed to tackle 20 years hooked on heroin, cocaine and diazepam.

His struggles - which began when he was just 19-years-old - left him emaciated, homeless and with barely a penny to his name.

Now he is bravely sharing his story on World Aids Day to help challenge the misconceptions and stigma people living with the condition face daily.

The 42-year-old told the Glasgow Times: “My life was falling apart.

"I was gripped by an addiction to hard drugs and just couldn’t see a way out. I lost everything and had no place to call home, I would sleep on the streets or in hostels. I wanted to get clean, but I was so gripped by the need to fill my body with dangerous drugs that I couldn’t think straight.

“My weight plummeted to under eight stone, and I looked terrible, literally a shadow of my former self.  It was only when a routine blood test revealed that I was HIV positive that I realised things had to majorly change.

“I felt ashamed of having HIV and didn’t want to talk to anyone about it. My brain was in a complete fog, and I then started to take more and more drugs to block it all out. It was a mix of emotions ranging from anger, sadness, denial, but thankfully, eventually acceptance.”

The Bridgeton man started dabbling with drugs as a teen, when he first smoked cannabis. He soon started taking harder drugs and began injecting heroin and pure cocaine.

After reaching rock bottom, he turned to Waverley Care, a leading charity that advocates against the stigma surrounding HIV, Aids, Hepatitis C and sexual health conditions in Scotland.

After accessing their incredible support, he was able to come to terms with his diagnosis.

If left untreated HIV typically turns into Aids in about eight to 10 years. By the time this change occurs, the person's immune system has normally been severely damaged, and they are more likely to develop diseases that wouldn't usually cause illness in a person with a healthy immune system. These are called opportunistic infections or opportunistic cancers and can ultimately lead to death.  

He explained: “When I first met with a support worker from Waverley Care she gave me a hug and I jumped back because I never knew kindness. I thought people would be ashamed or repulsed being around someone with HIV. I know now that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I went to rehab and finally got on top of my addictions. Yes, I've had a few relapses, but I’ve learned that is just part of recovery.

"The key is not to give up and engage with the help that's out there. I can’t thank the charity enough for the kindness they have shown me. I’d be lost without them.

“What I didn’t realise, and many people still don’t, is that HIV is not the death sentence it was in the 80s. Medical advancements mean you can live a normal, happy productive life. I make sure I adhere to my medication, look after myself, eat properly, exercise and sleep well.

“For me, contracting HIV saved my life. Drugs were killing me and would have put me in an early grave, so in a strange way being diagnosed with HIV gave me a second chance at life - and I’m determined to make the most of it.”

Three years on from his diagnosis, he is now in a settled relationship and works to educate others on the struggle with addiction and the stigma that still surrounds HIV.

He adds: “It is a chronic condition, but you can live with it. Treatment is so effective now that it suppresses the virus to a level where you can live as if you don’t have it. All someone has to do is take their medication daily as prescribed and look after themselves. I am grateful for my life and everything that happened to me to bring me to this point."

Statistics from Public Health Scotland show the number of recently acquired HIV infections continues to decline. Of those receiving specialist HIV care, 97% were on antiretroviral therapy and, of those, 94% had an undetectable viral load.

Charity Waverley Care, along with other third-party organisations, are calling on the Scottish Government to reach zero HIV transmission by 2030. Proposals to help achieve this include widening access to PrEP, a preventative medication that is highly effective in preventing HIV when taken correctly.

Scotland is the first country in the UK to make PrEP available via the NHS, however it can currently only be accessed at sexual health clinics and campaigners are calling for it to be made widely available from GP surgeries and pharmacies.

They are also calling for more people to be tested, along with up-to-date training for healthcare staff about the realities of living with HIV and the introduction of HIV in sexual education across Scottish schools.

Waverley Care CEO Grant Sugden (Image: Supplied)

Waverley Care CEO Grant Sugden said: “World Aids Day is an important time to reflect and remember those who have died of Aids-related illness, and to stand in solidarity with those around the world currently living with HIV.

“However, it is also a day to look to the future; in Scotland, we are at a pivotal moment in that we could be one of the first countries in the world with zero new HIV transmissions.

"To get there, we need to make sure more people are tested for HIV, that PrEP can be accessed by anyone who needs it, and we need to end damaging and harmful HIV stigma.

"I am hopeful that we make that leap, but we need strong leadership and commitment from the Scottish Government and for everyone to play their part."

For more inforamtion, visit waverleycare.org.