Discovering he was HIV positive 20 years ago was a bombshell for Kevin Marques but it has not been the life sentence he first feared, as reporter LOUISE TWEDDELL discovered.

AS THE Don't Die of Ignorance campaign beamed into living rooms across the country in 1986, with images of blackened tombstones and breaking icebergs, Kevin Marques was already dealing with the virus now gripping the nation with fear.

During a routine test on July 4, 1986, he sat motionless in a Middlesex surgery with his new partner as a doctor broke the news he thought he would never hear.

The irony of the date, American Independence Day, was not lost on the former singer and club performer.

The 45-year-old, who now lives in Greenwich, said: "When I was told it was like a chasm had opened up and I was going deeper and deeper into the hole.

"I had just started living and here was someone telling me it was all going to be over."

Kevin has never been able to trace whom he contacted the virus from.

At the time of his diagnosis, knowledge of HIV and drugs to slow down the effects were minimal doctors declared he had a maximum of three years to live but he was determined to fight.

Kevin added: "The drugs at the time had so many side-effects and there was nothing to prove they worked.

"I refused to take them and decided to live with it the best I could."

Thanks to a healthy lifestyle and support from friends and family, it was 10 years before the symptoms began to set in.

The virus began to attack his white blood cells, which support the immune system and protect the body from infection.

He started to suffer sweats, throat infections and irritable bowel syndrome and reluctantly gave up his job in sales.

Kevin said: "I tried to carry on as long as I could but knew it was time to stop working."

He added: "There were tough times and I did feel vulnerable but I always tried to stay upbeat."

Kevin sought alternative therapies, including Reiki and aromatherapy, saw a dietician and managed to go another six years before beginning combination drug therapy.

The drugs, two tablets twice a day, suppress the virus and give extra protection to the white blood cells.

His condition is now stable and he is in a better position to fight infection.

Kevin says doctors believe his attitude and healthy lifestyle could be the reason he has not yet developed AIDS.

Despite a daily regime of pills, constant fear of picking up infection, being shunned by those unable to cope with his diagnosis and ultimately thoughts of his mortality, Kevin's resolve and passion for life is remarkable.

Earlier this year he auditioned for X Factor and plans to marry Iain, his partner of four years, at a civil ceremony in November.

He said: "I always say I am HIV positive but I am positive, it's the only way to be."

Now back in employment at the Shaw Trust, a charity which gives support to disabled people, he uses his experience to build peole's confidence and help them back into work.

He said: "I am still here and I am grateful. There are always people in worse situations.

"I never thought 10 years ago I would still be here but I am."

Kevin added: "The most important thing is not to give up, stay positive, live healthily and look towards the future.

"There is always hope and it is all about attitude."

FACTS ABOUT HIV AND AIDS

  • HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which infects and gradually destroys the infected person's immune system, reducing their protection against infection and cancers.
  • AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, describes the point when a person's immune system can no longer cope because of the damage caused by HIV and they start to get one or more specific illnesses, such as cancer or pneumonia.
  • According to 2004 figures from the Health Protection Agency, there are 20,670 men and women suffering from HIV in London.
  • The virus is transmitted through unprotected sex, sharing needles or blood transfusions.
  • There is still no cure but combination drugs can be used to boost the body's immune system, which helps manage HIV and prevents the onset of AIDS.
  • The virus first came to light in a medical report published on June 5, 1981.
  • It is estimated 40 million people now have HIV worldwide 58,000 of them live in the UK.
  • For information on HIV, visit tht.org.uk or for help getting back into work, visit shaw-trust.org.uk