This student's app puts everything you need to know about HIV at your fingertips

LONDON -- On Jacob Alexander's 22nd birthday, he got a phone call. Sitting next to his mum, he picked up the phone, but the caller wasn't ringing to wish him a happy birthday. They were calling to tell him his test results. He had tested positive for HIV. 

From that moment forth, Alexander's life changed forever. He lost some of his friends. His best friend -- with whom he shared a house -- rejected him and even bought a new fridge because he was scared Alexander would "infect" his food. 

It didn't end there. 

The response that Alexander's diagnosis garnered -- from both friends and strangers alike -- spoke volumes about the alarming lack of awareness and knowledge about the virus. 

"When I told one person that I had HIV, they visibly flinched."

His solution was to build an app to create a space that helps both HIV-positive and non-HIV-positive people to learn more about it.

Alexander says that since his diagnosis, he's experienced discrimination on a daily basis. Something he believes is due to an absence of education about how the virus is transmitted and what it means to be HIV-positive. 

"When I told one person that I had HIV, they visibly flinched," the 22-year-old student told Mashable.

"On another occasion I was on the Tube talking to my boyfriend about HIV and people actually got up and moved to a different carriage to get away from me," he continued.

He's witnessed friends cracking jokes about his virus while he struggled with depression and the feeling that his life was unravelling. 

"There is a stigma to HIV and a fear that runs deep," he says.

This stigma hasn't prevented Alexander from telling people about his diagnosis. In fact, Alexander first publicly announced that he was HIV-positive in a powerful TED talk at the University of the Arts London, which reduced his audience to tears. 

Research suggests that the fear that accompanied the HIV epidemic of the 1980s still lives on today. Indeed, a recent UN AIDS report found that 50% of men and women surveyed had "discriminatory" attitudes towards people with HIV. 

But, with an estimated 36.9 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide, Alexander feels that it's high time something was done about that stigma.

"Everyone my age is always on their phone. I thought that the best way to get through to people my age would be through an app," Alexander told Mashable. 

Alexander's app, The Positive Project -- provides HIV facts, health information, and helps users locate the nearest test centres. Users can also ask questions anonymously, book appointments, and connect with centres.

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For people wanting to know more about the virus, the app contains resources that can tell you about the history and origins of HIV and the difference between HIV and AIDS, as well as providing research and information about the extent of HIV's stigma. This is the place to go if you've ever felt shy about asking questions about the virus. 

But, this app isn't just a tool to help people clue up on some background information. There are also vital resources for people who've been diagnosed with the virus, and for people whose partners have been diagnosed. It covers things from using condoms and lube to what it means to be "undetectable". 

Alexander -- who is currently a full-time student at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London -- is singlehandedly uploading the clinic data to the app. It's a work in progress, but soon there will be a comprehensive list of every test centre in the UK.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Cary James, Head of Programmes at Terrence Higgins Trust, says that while incredible medical progress has been made in the past 20 years, attitudes and awareness of HIV haven't kept up with that progress. 

“The devastating impact of HIV stigma cannot be underestimated – it is a well-known barrier stopping people getting tested and onto treatment, as people fear reactions from friends, family, colleagues and their community, should they test positive," James told Mashable.

“Stigma also has a damaging effect on people’s health and wellbeing, with the People Living with HIV Stigma Index UK reporting that stigma had prevented 15% of respondents from accessing their GP in the last year, and 66% had avoided dental care," James continued. 

“The devastating impact of HIV stigma cannot be underestimated."

The Terrence Higgins Trust says it welcomes innovative ways to reduce stigma, increase knowledge of HIV and good sexual health as well as bust myths about the virus. 

“Here at Terrence Higgins Trust, we successfully use apps, including dating apps, to encourage HIV testing as part of our health promotion outreach work," James continued. 

While tackling stigma is uppermost on Alexander's agenda, he's not looking for anyone's sympathy.

"When you have HIV, you feel quarantined. People feel like they have to be nice to us and they say 'oh, I'm so sorry.' But, I don't want your sympathy. I'm living my life. It's not your problem," he says.

Alexander's hope is that his app will make people feel less alone and a little safer knowing they have access to sexual health information. Alexander's overarching aim is to make it possible for people to speak freely and without fear about their diagnosis. 

"People shouldn't feel afraid to say they have HIV," says Alexander. 

The app is now live, and free to download on iOS. 

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