Eurovision winner Conchita has told fans that she is HIV-positive, and has been in regular treatment for “several years”. The 29-year-old Austrian drag performer made a public statement on Instagram in response to an ex-boyfriend allegedly threatening to reveal the information.
“I have been HIV-positive for several years,” Conchita wrote. “That is actually irrelevant to the public, but an ex-boyfriend is threatening to go public with this private information and I will not give anyone the right to frighten me or affect my life.
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She continued: “Since I received the diagnosis, I have been in medical treatment, and for many years without interruption I have been below the detection limit, which means I am unable to transmit the virus. Until now, i did not want to go public with this information for a number of reasons, only two of which I’ll mention: first and foremost my family, who know everything and have been supporting me since day one. I would have gladly spared them the attention connected to the HIV status of their son, grandson and brother. Likewise, my friends have been aware of this for quite some time and are dealing with it with an impartiality that I would wish everyone concerned. Secondly, it is information that, in my opinion, is almost exclusively relevant to those with whom sexual contact would be an option.
“Coming out is better than being outed by someone else. [By] taking this step, I hope to encourage others and help lessen the stigmatisation of people who have become infected with HIV through their own behaviour or innocently through that of others. To my fans: the information about my HIV-status may be new to you – [but nothing about me has changed! I’m healthy and well, and I’m stronger, more motivated and liberated than ever. Thank you for your support!”
HIV positive individuals who have been taking effective antiretroviral therapy for some time, typically six months or so, often have undetectable levels of the virus in their bodily fluids – in other words their viral load is dramatically lowered. This threshold is generally set at below 50 copies of the genetic material of the virus per millilitre of blood, although with more sensitive tests this threshold can be just 20 copies per ml.
While such low levels of the virus does not mean an individual is “cured” of HIV, recent studies have shown that it does mean the chance of passing on the virus to sexual partners is practically zero. However experts have pointed out not everyone has access to the treatments necessary to achieve undetectable levels of HIV, with factors ranging from poverty to racism restricting who can get hold of the therapy.
Conchita, formerly known as Conchita Wurst, won the Eurovision song contest in 2014 for her song Rise Like a Phoenix. Wurst is a recording artist and drag queen portrayed by Thomas Neuwirth. The BBC reports that the singer recently recorded a special edition of BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night, performing her favourite diva songs, accompanied by the 60-piece BBC Concert Orchestra. The concert will be broadcast later this month.
- This story was amended on 16 April to replace the Guardian’s translation of Conchita’s statement with an English version provided by her publicist