25 reasons Queer as Folk is essential LGBTQIA+ viewing today

Queer as Folk (2000-2005). Photo Credit: Showtime

The complexity of dating someone with HIV

As you just read about Hunter, dating with HIV can be extremely difficult. When his girlfriend found out he was HIV positive, she doesn’t seem bothered and remains level-headed, but her parents slander Hunter and force the two apart when they find out he has HIV. They react even more poorly when they find out how he got it. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Dating someone with HIV is a constant struggle. It doesn’t just go away, and you have to be vigilant. You need to be tested regularly and you can’t slip up on medication or condom use. Nowadays, there is PrEP, a drug that helps prevent the spread of HIV, something which was discussed on How to Get Away With Murder in 2015 (which was a pretty groundbreaking moment), but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still be vigilant.

When Michael begins dating Ben and discovers his HIV status, it puts him in a difficult situation. He really likes him, but he knows the risks it would involve. First, Michael ends the relationship because of it, but when he realizes Ben is the guy for him, he accepts the risks. That puts his mother in an awkward situation, because she doesn’t want Michael to go through what her brother Vic struggled with. It’s not until Ben is hospitalized from HIV medication complications that she realizes just how dedicated Michael is to him, and that’s when she gives them her blessing, despite her worries.

It goes without saying that this was an important topic to tackle, but some people forget that even today, this is an idea that bears repeating. HIV is still very real, especially in the LGBTQIA+ community, even if it’s not an epidemic like it was decades prior.