By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

I recently re-watched the first season of one of my favourite TV shows... Queer as Folk*. In watching the episode where "Ted and Emmet get tested for AIDS" (Season 1, episode 11), I noticed plenty of inaccuracies and some common myths.  Although it's a decade old now, many of these common myths persist.  The media can have a profound influence on our ideas and attitudes towards sex, so I thought I would address this episode, correcting some of these myths and hopefully providing a somewhat more realistic portrayal of the testing process.

So, first check out the episode here.  The scene with the doctor, to which I will be referring, begins at exactly 7 minutes in.  At that moment, Ted and Emmett are in the doctor's office waiting to get tested, since Ted had unprotected sex with someone he just learned is HIV positive.

Fallacy #1:  You can get tested for AIDS.

In the description of the episode, "Ted and Emmet get tested for AIDS."  But there is actually no such thing as an AIDS test; testing is done for HIV, not AIDS, and technically, the test looks for HIV antibodies, not the virus itself. Keep in mind that HIV and AIDS are not the same thing and that proper treatment can delay or even prevent AIDS from ever occurring.

Fallacy #2: Spermicidal lubricant should be used by gay men to help prevent HIV infection

Emmet lectures Ted on his failure to use a condom. Emmet boasts, "I always have condoms, spermicidal lubricant..." and in response, Ted calls Emmet the "Safe Sex poster boy."  But Emmet is incorrect. Although spermicide was touted in the late '80s as an effective means to prevent HIV, we actually know that now spermicide causes damage by causing lesions in the rectum (or vagina), which can lead to easier HIV transmission. All condom companies but Trojan discontinued their condoms with spermicidal lubricant after studies revealed this risk.

Fallacy #3: You and your friend can get tested for HIV at the same time

Emmet tells the nurse that he is only getting tested for moral support. While it might be a good idea to bring a friend to the testing location for moral support, the nurse is unlikely to allow your friend to come into the testing room with you.  In the show, the test is done without any pre or post test counseling. In real life, the nurse will ask you a few questions about your sexual activities and intravenous drug use. This information is confidential, and, since you might feel uncomfortable answering honestly in front of your friend, this needs to be done privately.

Fallacy #4: The nurse or doctor will reassure you of a particular outcome

"I'm sure you'll be fine," says the doctor when Emmet declares that Ted is nervous.  As previously mentioned, the pre-test counseling provides the nurse an opportunity to counsel you on your level of risk. If you are having testing done at a clinic that also provides STI and viral hepatitis testing (like the AIDS Committee of Guelph), you will jointly decide what other tests to have.  However, a nurse or doctor would not reassure you of an outcome; they will instead help you assess risks of various kinds of behaviour and make decisions accordingly.  This is part of the pre-test counselling that is not shown in the show.

Fallacy #5: The nurse will call you with the results.

At 14 minutes into the show, the nurse phones Ted to tell him that he is negative. This is unlikely.  More likely is that Ted would be asked to return to the office for his results. It is not standard practice to give someone their results over the phone.  Post test counseling would be provided at this point.

Rapid testing takes about 20 minutes. If the results are negative (non-reactive), you will know right away. If the results are reactive, they will be sent away to a lab for confirmation and you will be called back into the office at a later time. Positive results are not given over the phone.  In fact, it is not standard practice to give any results over the phone, however it can happen in rare circumstances. 

Fallacy #5: Being "AIDS-phobic" protects you

Subsequently, the tables turn and Emmet fears he is HIV positive as he waits for his results.  Ted reassures him by saying, "Emmett, you cannot be infected. No-one in the world is more HIVphobic than you. You practically boil the sheets!" This line particularly bothered me. AIDS phobia is a big problem and a major contributor to the spread of HIV.  Being fearful of HIV or stigmatizing people who live with HIV will not protect you. It will only help to create a discriminatory and hostile environment for people who are living with HIV, making disclosure more difficult and discouraging people from accessing testing, treatment, and information about safer sex.

Furthermore, boiling the sheets will not protect you from HIV.  You can't get HIV from bed sheets or towels, talking, shaking hands, hugging, kissing, or sharing food, water, eating utensils, pools, or toilets.  The sooner these myths evaporate, the better.

I commend Queer as Folk for bringing up many important issues that the media often avoids. However, it’s important to have good media literacy skills. Whenever a TV show provides information about sex and risk, it’s a good idea to follow up with a reputable source to clarify and make sure you have the proper information.

*Picture from Showcase.ca