Terrence Higgins Trust marks 41 years since the death of Terry Higgins
Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading sexual health charity, is marking 41 years since the death of its namesake Terry Higgins.
He passed away at the age of 37 on 4 July 1982 and is one of the first people known to have died from the AIDS virus in the UK. “His boyfriend Rupert buried him using his student loan to pay for the funeral,” the charity wrote on Instagram on the 41st anniversary of his passing. “At the time, HIV didn’t have a name, let alone a test.
Rupert’s questions were dismissed by doctors because of their sexuality. He had to look up Terry’s cause of death in a medical journal.” Terry’s friend and partner ultimately channelled their grief and anger into activism and created Terrence Higgins Trust.
At the time, it was impossible to predict the impact the HIV/AIDS epidemic would have on society, though Terrence Higgins Trust has been at the forefront of the fight and helped countless people over the last four decades.
