‘Naked Attraction’ praised for featuring HIV-positive contestant
Pablo used his time on the show to break the stigma surrounding HIV
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Naked Attraction has been branded ‘powerful and important’ after it featured a contestant who is HIV-positive.
On the latest episode on Wednesday (September 4), Pablo appeared on the show in the hopes to find a date.
While looking for romance, Pablo used his chance to break the stigma surrounding HIV and said people ‘run for the hills’ when he revealed he is HIV-positive.
He told host Anna Richardson: “The minute you disclose you are HIV-positive, people run for the hills.
“When I tell people that I’m HIV positive, people think about Freddie Mercury. In fact I’ve been told I look a little bit like him!
“The positive thing about Naked Attraction is that we see each other naked before we go on a date. There will be no awkward conversations.”
The contestant then went on to say how he finds it difficult meeting people because bringing up his HIV status immediately ‘kills things off’.
He continued: “I find that it’s difficult to meet people. I like to be open about people. When you bring that up, it kills things off. There’s a lot of fear out there.
“It’s perfectly fine to date someone who is HIV positive, to have sex with someone who is HIV positive.
“This is a good way to have it all in the open even before they see me.”
Pablo went on to get a date with admin assistant Matt and they both agreed to meet each other again.
After the show, people took to Twitter to praise the Channel 4 series and dubbed the episode ‘powerful and important’.
I love #NakedAttraction generally & Anna Richardson especially, but tonight’s episode featuring an HIV+ man talking frankly about the challenges & stigma positive people face when dating was really powerful & important telly. Bravo @Channel4 & all involved, most of all Pedro.
— Hugh Smithson-Wright (@HRWright) September 4, 2019
Pablos honesty about being HIV positive coupled with his lust for life and the fact he had everyone dancing to Mi Chico Latino, completely starkers, makes him hands down my favourite #NakedAttraction person EVER @Channel4 pic.twitter.com/webdvw6KDP
— Lucy Horobin (@LucyHorobin) September 4, 2019
I’m so glad that #nakedattraction have someone with HIV on! It’s not a death sentence anymore and its brilliant that its being normalised. Having HIV doesn’t mean sexless!
— Kittie (@KittieHill) September 4, 2019