“A walk in the park”: Jonathan Blake on thriving with HIV and why visibility still matters

When Jonathan Blake became one of the first people in the UK to be diagnosed with HIV, there were no treatment options, limited public awareness, and very little hope. Over 40 years later, he’s still here – thriving, speaking out, and reminding us why visibility and education matter more than ever, especially during Pride season.

“Oh gosh,” he begins. “In some ways I kind of reflect on my journey every time I take my medication,” he explains.

In 1982, Jonathan was the first person diagnosed with HIV in London and at the time, the outlook was grim. “They came in and they told me: ‘Jonathan, you have a virus. There is no cure. You have between three and nine months to live.’” What followed was despair, then resilience. “I thought I’d better get on and live. But how?”

What saved him, he says, was community. Jonathan became an early member of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), the grassroots group that famously raised funds for striking Welsh miners in the mid-1980s. Their unlikely but powerful alliance helped shift public opinion on LGBTQ+ rights and inspired the 2014 film Pride, in which Jonathan was portrayed by actor Dominic West.

“What came out of that is simply astonishing,” he says. “One community supporting another. And out of that came change – real change.”

His story also mirrors the evolution of HIV treatment. He avoided early experimental drugs, which carried significant side effects, and began antiretroviral therapy in 1996. “The morning of the fourth week, I woke up with the most amazing amount of energy… It was like Lazarus raised from the dead!”

Then, in a moment of quiet triumph, he did something that symbolised his return to life:
“I laid a patio outside my French windows. I’d never done anything like that. It was incredible.”

Looking back, he reflects on just how far things have come: “The difference between the medications now and the medications then is like chalk and cheese.”

Indeed, as Dr Jean van Wyk, Chief Medical Officer at ViiV Healthcare, explains: “We’ve been developing solutions since the start of the HIV epidemic. Thanks to advances in treatment, HIV is now considered a chronic condition, meaning most people with HIV live long and happy lives. Today’s HIV medication options are more effective, easier to take, and have fewer side effects compared with the treatments of the past.”

Jonathan is also particularly passionate about U=U – undetectable equals untransmittable. “It’s probably the most important thing,” he says. “Psychologically, it’s such a release… I’m no longer this leper. Thanks to medication, I can enjoy sex without worrying about passing on HIV.”

As Dr van Wyk explains, “U=U holds significant power in the battle against HIV stigma, raising awareness about the importance of taking and adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART) within the broader community and empowering people with HIV in their sexual relationships.“

That message is also central to another breakthrough: PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). “This is a medication that can be used to protect yourself,” Jonathan says. Dr van Wyk elaborates: “PrEP has been transformative, offering effective prevention options has empowered individuals, reduced new HIV diagnoses, and fostered a feeling of empowerment in people taking control of their own personal health. Prevention is one of the essential pillars in our efforts to end the HIV epidemic.”

Stigma, however, remains an issue. “People are still being diagnosed and the message still is not getting through,” Jonathan says. “For ViiV to be raising HIV awareness and to get it spoken about is really, really important.”

Dr van Wyk agrees: “The LGBTQ+ community is among the most impacted by HIV. Talking about HIV during Pride matters because, although we have made great progress, we still have work to do to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that still faces people today.”

Jonathan also credits the transformation of HIV care to healthcare workers. “The nursing practices that went on when nurses were looking after HIV patients in those early awful years – that completely changed the way that nursing is practised within the whole of the NHS,” he says.

He praises nurse and activist Leigh Chislett, founder of 56 Dean Street, for reimagining what sexual health clinics could be. “He felt that clinics should be places that are light and airy and where people want to come – as opposed to the dark, dingy basements where you’re made to feel kind of dirty and rubbish, as they were in the early days.”

Beyond clinics, Dr van Wyk says ViiV supports the LGBTQ+ community year-round. “Pride is an important moment for the LGBTQ+ community but being an ally means going beyond a single moment.

“At ViiV, our support for communities most impacted by HIV is unwavering all year-round. We stand united with the community to drive meaningful change and to leave no person living with HIV behind.”

Jonathan’s advice to someone newly diagnosed is filled with encouragement: “Be kind to yourself. Don’t start beating yourself up. Just accept it. You can have a wonderful life. Having HIV these days can actually be a walk in the park.”

And what gives the pair hope?

“Young people,” Jonathan says. “They step up. They make demands. So, I think we’re all right.”

Dr van Wyk adds, “I am very excited about the promising advances in HIV treatment and prevention that still lie ahead of us. For example, researchers are looking at the next generation of medicines, which include extended dosing intervals for therapies where time between doses could be many months apart. In addition, the search for a vaccine, and ultimately a cure, also still continues at pace.”