This week’s edition of Indepth – our weekly interview programme – was filmed in a somewhat different format.

The guest remained anonymous – he spoke from behind a Perspex screen and his voice was altered to protect his identity.

The reason: our guest this week, a 28-year-old man who has HIV, feels that the stigma about the disease in Malta is still too strong, and he was not comfortable showing his face.

John (the name used during the programme) is one of around 450 people in Malta living with HIV, 362 of who are receiving treatment at Mater Dei’s HIV clinic. He is one of 37 million people worldwide who are known to have the virus.

John spoke about the anguish he felt at learning he had contracted HIV, not only because he was not well-informed about the condition but also because of the stigma that it still carries in Malta. While his parents were very supportive, others were not so kind.

He spoke about how romantic relationships ended when he informed his partners that he has HIV, and told stories about how people would refuse to hug someone with HIV, or even touch the same stapler at the office, for fear of contracting the virus. This, of course, stems from a lack of education which, John says, is the key to eradicating the stigma.

He explained how HIV today is not a death sentence. It can be managed through medication. People with HIV can still live a full life, have a job, be in relationships, practice sport, travel ... they can essentially live a normal life. The only problem is that certain people look at people with HIV as if they are a danger to society.

John explained that, through the use of medication his viral load has gone down to such an extent that his virus cannot actually be transmitted to another person. Indeed, he lives a normal life – the only downside is the side-effects that his medication sometimes causes.

Yet John chose to remain anonymous because, in his words, he wants to be acknowledged as a person, not as “that guy who has HIV.”

“I live with this condition but this is not my identity,” he says.

While acknowledging that the situation is improving, he says that we still have a long way to go to eradicate the stigma completely. “There is no logical base to people’s fears about HIV,” he says.

He says that education about protection but also general information about HIV and how it can be treated is important both at schools and also on a national level. Indeed, one rarely sees any form of HIV education on the media nowadays.

Education, he says, should also be provided to people carrying the virus, so that they are constantly aware of all their options.

John also spoke about the importance of Malta catching up with other European countries and providing newer medication, which has fewer or no side effects. This would drastically improve the quality of life of people living with HIV.

The Malta Independent recently reported that the government was budgeting €1 million to change the treatment and therapy currently provided to HIV carriers.

While this step is to be lauded, the authorities must also step their game when it comes to awareness about HIV.

We have, over the years seen many campaigns raising awareness on anything from disability, to mental health to gender orientation. We believe that efforts must be made also in the field of HIV so that, hopefully, John and people like him can show their face and use their real name the next time he is interviewed by the media.