Hollyoaks and HIV Hate

posted: 17/02/2009

Hollyoaks, the Channel 4 soap opera, is famous for tackling real-life issues, and the teen soap is set to explore prejudice towards people living with HIV next week.

Viewers were appalled a few months ago when Malachy Fisher was diagnosed with HIV but continued to have unprotected sex with then girlfriend Mercedes McQueen, without telling her.

After a turbulent few months the couple reunited and married shortly afterwards. However, the subject of Malachy's condition will come up once again when it emerges that Myra McQueen is scared she could catch the virus by simply touching her new son-in-law.

Glen Wallace, who plays Malachy on the Cheshire-set soap, feels the storyline has been a long time coming.

He said: "Hollyoaks has a track record of tackling big issues, be it Nico's [Newt's] mental illness or the bulimia storyline we had quite recently. The HIV storyline is relevant to today's youth culture, and as they're the ones watching the show we can tackle the issues in a sensitive way."

source

Holyoaks and Malachy