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HIV 'is not a gay virus or a death sentence but is still a growing problem’
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HETEROSEXUAL people in the county are being warned that they must be aware of the dangers of HIV.
Lincolnshire's sexual health charity Positive Health is currently helping 134 people in the county deal with the virus.
Of these, 93 are heterosexual, with 58 women and 35 men making up the figure.
Ben James, sexual health promoter at Positive Health said people still think of HIV with an 1980s viewpoint. He said they believed it was a gay virus and a death sentence.
He said: "We always tell people things have changed a lot since the 80s.
"Perhaps the perception has come from Freddie Mercury because he was such a big star and was gay and died from Aids.
"We have come so far with medication now that people can live with HIV until old age.
"But there is still no cure."
The number of 18 to 29-year-olds being treated for HIV is also rising in the county, going against the national trend.
In 2008, Positive Health was supporting 18 people in the age bracket. Now it is helping 27 young people with the consequences of HIV.
Mr James said: "The number of young people diagnosed with HIV is very worrying and we are doing a lot of work in schools and always promote safe sex.
"There are still many myths around such as you can get it through saliva."
People who test positive for HIV are referred to Positive Health by sexual health clinics.
Manager of the charity, Caroline Wilkinson, said discrimination was still an issue that affected HIV-positive people.
She said: "The majority of HIV-positive people chose not to disclose their status in fear of discrimination.
"We feel this is mainly due to lack of knowledge.
"Unfortunately, we witness many forms of discrimination against HIV-positive people and in some cases this leads to abuse."
Barman and University of Lincoln Student Alex Smith, 19, of the West End, said: "I think the problem is a lot of lads my age think they are invincible and don't think about the consequences of the things they do.
"If the message was really hammered home then it would probably make a big difference.
"There's a lot of fear about HIV and, if straight men were the focus of an awareness campaign, most of them would probably listen."
Spokesman for the University of Lincoln, Ian Richards, said: "Students can access sexual health services on campus via the student health centre.
"This includes all forms of contraception but with an emphasis on safety rather than family planning – so the use of condoms is actively encouraged.
If you want to know about this subject please click on this link: http://www.avert.org, It will lead you to AvertT which is an international HIV and AIDS charity based in the UK, working to AVERT HIV and AIDS worldwide.
