Zack fears for his baby's future as he gets HIV test results in EastEnders

Zack Hudson (James Farrar) has faced two life changing bombshells in EastEnders over the last few months.

The first shock that came to Zack was the news that Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) was pregnant with his child, after their one night stand.

The pair struggled to deal with the news initially, but ultimately put their differences aside for the sake of their unborn baby.

Things were going well between them, until a second bombshell rocked Zack’s world.

Everything changed for Zack when he ran into Brett (Fabrizio Santino), an old acquaintance with whom Zack used to take steroids.

He revealed to Zack that he had been diagnosed with HIV, and, seeing as they shared needles in the past, Zack may have it too.

It took Zack a while to get his head around the news, terrified that he may also have the infection.

However, Zack will soon make the decision to get tested for HIV himself.

The expectant father is terrified that he may have jeopardised his baby’s future.

As he awaits the results of the test, will he tell anyone his secret?

Zack will have to seek support from someone soon, as EastEnders has confirmed he will be diagnosed with HIV.

The soap is working with the Terence Higgins Trust and will explore the aftermath of receiving a HIV diagnosis, and how Zack copes in the immediate days and weeks.

Treatment options and implications for Zack will seek to reflect what it is now like to live with the virus as the story progresses.

Addressing Zack’s fears that the condition will pass to the baby, Dr Kate Nambiar, Medical Director of Terence Higgins Trust, clarified to Metro.co.uk: ‘All pregnant people in the UK are offered an HIV test to reduce the number of babies born with the virus.

‘Thanks to this and the incredible treatment advances, vertical HIV transmission rarely happens in the UK now.

‘People living with HIV do give birth to HIV negative children. If someone who is pregnant tests positive for HIV, they’ll be advised to start treatment straight away.

‘This is a crucial way to prevent the virus being transmitted to the baby during pregnancy or birth. Read more on preventing HIV transmission during pregnancy.’

Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer said: ‘EastEnders has never shied away from covering sensitive issues and Zack’s story is one of these.

‘There are still so many myths and disinformation surrounding HIV, so working closely with Terrence Higgins Trust has enabled us to really understand what it is like for those that are diagnosed with HIV and we hope that this storyline will bring more awareness of HIV and what it is like to live with the virus in 2023.’

Source: Read Full Article