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I spoke to a young man, James Hanson-McCormick, 24, who was 18 when he was diagnosed with HIV. "I had no idea what HIV was or how it was contracted. I have had six years to think about my status, and not a single day goes by without me thinking about it. It's so hard. I wish I knew more [then], I wish I had been better educated and that I knew enough to try and prevent it happening."It might sound naïve, but James isn't alone in his experience. Luke Alexander is from Oldbury, a small town outside Birmingham, and was diagnosed HIV positive in June 2013. He was 18. "If I was in a sexual relationship with a guy when I was 15 or 16 it was monogamous," he tells me. "When I hit 18 I treated myself to a fancy phone and discovered these apps and clubs. You're new to everything and people say 'download this' and you find people want to hook up with you. It's validation. You become quite promiscuous."Luke's candidness took me aback. "I became incredibly egotistical and quite narcissistic," he admits. "Add drugs and alcohol into the equation and it becomes quite a habit. One thing led to another and I didn't take any precautions."Will Harris, Head of Media for Terrence Higgins Trust, says that while research shows that most gay men use condoms most of the time, it only takes one instance of unprotected sex for HIV to be passed on. "Condom use has to be consistent… It's basic human nature to under-estimate risk, so our community needs to keep finding ways to reinforce the message that 'He looks fine, it'll probably be OK' won't give you the protection that a condom will."For many recently infected guys, getting their head around living with HIV is one of the biggest challenges.
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