Smith's HIV admission 'leads way for others'

MORE high-profile people who are HIV positive will be encouraged to reveal their condition by MP Chris Smith's decision to go public, gay rights campaigners said today.

The 53-year-old former culture secretary - Britain's first openly gay MP - has been praised by gay community leaders for his courage in disclosing he was diagnosed 17 years ago.

But the Islington South and Finsbury MP said while he was happy to reveal this, for others it must remain a personal decision.

Mr Smith has received the backing of the Prime Minister and parliamentary colleagues, as well as from many gay organisations, after announcing he was diagnosed in 1987 but does not know who infected him. He met his longterm partner, Dorian Jabri, an education adviser, two years later.

Genevieve Clark, of HIV charity the Terence Higgins Trust, said: "It is a very impressive thing he has done to speak about HIV. It is not easy - we have come across people who have had bad reactions from family and friends .

People are still concerned about discrimination."

Richard Kirker, of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, added: "Chris's decision will encourage others to speak up. If people who are HIV positive are hiding this it's a great shame - nobody's life will benefit from keeping it quiet."

Jason Pollock of Pride said Mr Smith had made "a very brave decision" which would be welcomed by the gay community.

Ben Summerskill, from gay pressure group Stonewall, said: "Chris Smith's honesty about being gay made him a role model for tens and thousands. His honesty about his HIV status will almost certainly have the same effect."

Mr Smith himself warned that HIV is still a sensitive issue, and revealing the condition is entirely up to the individual concerned.

"It is an intensively private and personal matter," he said. "It took me 17 years to make my decision.

"I was concerned about the possible impact on members of my family. My message to other sufferers is, 'Make your own decision and feel confident about living a good life.' " Mr Smith said he did not tell Tony Blair when he was appointed culture secretary in 1997 as he felt his performance would not be affected.

But Mr Smith was inspired to come out as being HIV-positive after comments made by Nelson Mandela about his son, who died of Aids earlier this month.

He said: "After that speech, I thought that I could make a small difference if I went public myself and help demystify this. We have made much progress in medical science since I was first diagnosed with the condition."

VIRUS FACTS . There were an estimated 53,000 people with HIV in the UK in 2003. More than 6,000 new diagnoses were made that year - more than double the number in 1998.

. 52 per cent of those diagnosed live in the capital, where 20,000 are being treated.

. Fewer patients are going on to develop Aids because of improved treatment.

. Less than 500 people died of Aids in 2003, a similar rate to 1998.

. The cost of managing an HIV patient is Pounds 15,000 a year.

The NHS spent Pounds 345 million on treating HIV in 2002-3.

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