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It's A Sin: Channel 4 Series Helped A Rise In HIV Testing

Kimberley Bond

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| Last updated 

It's A Sin: Channel 4 Series Helped A Rise In HIV Testing

Featured Image Credit: Channel 4

New figures have shown just how much of an impact It's A Sin has had on people looking to order HIV tests.

The Channel 4 drama, written by multi-BAFTA award-winner Russell T Davies, followed a group of friends in the 1980s, and how their lives change in the space of a decade after the AIDS crisis hits.

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The show, which has been one of Channel 4's biggest series to date and having amassed over 18.9m views on All 4, has since contributed to a significant rise in people requesting an AIDS test.

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Figures from HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust, shows HIV tests being ordered at a faster rate than ever before when the drama was broadcast.

It's A Sin's broadcast coincided with National HIV Testing Week - on the first day, orders of HIV tests more than tripled compared to the charity's previous biggest day of orders. Across the week over 17k orders of HIV tests were placed - more than double the number ordered during the previous National HIV Testing Week (8.2k).

It's A Sin won praise for its frank depiction of sex in the 80s (Credit: Channel 4)
It's A Sin won praise for its frank depiction of sex in the 80s (Credit: Channel 4)

The charity's data shows that its helpline which provides support and advice around HIV and sexual health experienced a 30 per cent increase in calls the day after It's a Sin launched whilst visits to their website have more than doubled, including a growth in visits to pages providing information about the virus and transmission.

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In addition to this, sales of Philip Normal's It's a Sin-inspired 'La' t-shirt have raised over £250,000 for the charity.

Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer, Channel 4 said of the news: "It's thrilling that It's a Sin has touched so many people in in such a powerful way. It's a wonderful example of how great television can emotionally engage millions of people and leave a real legacy of positive change - just what Channel 4 is there for."

The series followed a group of friends as they navigated the 1980s (Credit: Channel 4)
The series followed a group of friends as they navigated the 1980s (Credit: Channel 4)

Ian Green, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, added: "It's A Sin has had an amazing impact and I'm thrilled the series has been so successful. The series examines a time in our history we must never forget - when people were dying of a mystery illness and we didn't know why.

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"But it's also important that everyone knows how much HIV has changed since then thanks to massive improvements in preventing, testing for and treating HIV. You can now live a long, healthy life with HIV and effective treatment means you won't pass on the virus to anyone else.

Colin's storyline in It's A Sin was particularly emotional (Credit: Channel 4)
Colin's storyline in It's A Sin was particularly emotional (Credit: Channel 4)

"We've seen the 'It's A Sin effect' on National HIV Testing Week with tests being ordered at a faster rate than ever before off the back of the series. That's a brilliant legacy for the series."

You can watch the entire series of It's A Sin on All 4 now.

Topics: Dating, Love, TV News, TV & Film, Sex & Relationships, Channel 4

Kimberley Bond
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