'Loose Women': Dr Christian Jessen Defends Decision Not To Wear Gloves During Live HIV Test On Coleen Nolan And Saira Khan
Dr Christian Explains Why He Didn't Wear Gloves For 'Loose Women' HIV Test
Ashley Percival— The Huffington Post UK
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Dr Christian Jessen has defended his decision to not wear gloves while conducting a live HIV test on ‘Loose Women’, calling critics out for not understanding how the virus really spreads.
The ‘Embarrassing Bodies’ medic appeared on the ITV daytime show to conduct a test on panellists Coleen Nolan and Saira Khan, following a discussion about how the rates of infection in older women are on the rise.
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Dr Christian carried out HIV tests on 'Loose Women'
However, Christian came under fire from some viewers, when he drew blood from the ladies without wearing gloves, using a small home-test kit to prick Saira and Coleen’s fingers.
The criticism came despite the fact any infected blood would have to come into contact with a mucous membrane, damaged tissue or be directly injected into his bloodstream by a needle or syringe, for transmission of the virus to occur.
Christian later addressed the issue on the show, after he revealed that Coleen and Saira’s tests came back as negative.
He stated that he had made a conscious decision not to wear gloves in order to highlight how easy it was to do the test, debunking some of the myths about HIV in the process.
“Lots of fury on Twitter about me not wearing gloves - that was a conscious decision,” he said.
“There was no way I could have done that in the time. I just wanted to show this live on air to show how easy it is.”
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Coleen Nolan and Saira Khan both had the test done
He later added on his own Twitter account: “No I didn't wear gloves to do #hiv tests on @loosewomen today. It was a conscious decision to enable us to actually do tests live on air!”
Christian also called out one ill-informed follower, who suggested he could have spread the virus, writing: “I think you need to go and learn exactly how #HIV is spread. Good bit of homework for #WorldAIDSDay!”
12 Stars You'd Forgotten Were 'Loose Women'
Karren Brady(01 of12)
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Long before she was answering to Lord Sugar, 'The Apprentice' star Karren was letting loose on the ITV daytime show. She was one of the original line-up of ladies, appearing on the first episode in 1999. However, her stint was short lived, as she left just a year later. (credit:REX)
Kerry Katona(02 of12)
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Back when she was Kerry McFadden (those were the days, eh?), the Atomic Kitten singer appeared as a panelist between 2003 and 2004. She was only 23 when she joined the show, making her the youngest 'Loose Woman' regular ever, and her sometimes naive outlook on life meant she often clashed with Sherrie Hewson, providing many hilarious moments. (credit:REX)
Nina Wadia(03 of12)
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She's best known for playing the opinionated Zainab Masood in 'EastEnders', but Nina offered up plenty of opinions of her own when she appeared as a series regular between 2005 and 2006. She later returned as a guest panelist for one episode in 2015. (credit:REX)
Gillian Taylforth(04 of12)
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Another 'EastEnder' who graced the 'Loose Women' panel was Gillian - better known as Walford's Kathy Beale. The actress enjoyed two stints as a Loose lady - one in 2006 and another in 2008. (credit:REX)
Sarah Millican(05 of12)
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In our humble opinion, Sarah's tenure as a 'Loose Woman' was simply not long enough. The comic only appeared as a panelist for less than a year in 2011, before leaving to concentrate on her stand-up career. (credit:REX)
Beverley Callard(06 of12)
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During one of her many breaks from 'Coronation Street', Beverly (aka Liz McDonald) took up a seat behind the famous desk in 2010. (credit:REX)
Kym Marsh(07 of12)
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While Kym has recently enjoyed a few turns as a guest panelist, many have forgotten her original stint as a regular on the show in 2005, back when she sported an interesting (if that's the right word?) set of hair extensions. (credit:REX)
Claire Sweeney(08 of12)
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The former 'Brookside' actress enjoyed over two years on the panel back in 2003, and later returned for six episodes in 2010, and a further two in 2012. (credit:REX)
Cilla Black(09 of12)
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While the late Cilla will be remembered for her huge TV hits 'Blind Date' and 'Surprise Surprise', her last regular TV gig was actually as a 'Loose Woman'. She appeared first as a guest anchor in 2009 and was invited back as a regular panelist between 2010 and 2011, returning for a one-off appearance in 2014. (credit:REX)
Sheree Murphy(10 of12)
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Sheree was a welcome addition to the panel in 2006, after she finished playing Emmerdale's much-loved Tricia Dingle. While she left in 2007, she later returned as a guest panelist for an episode in 2015. (credit:REX)
Claire Richards(11 of12)
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After the departure of many of Loose Women's biggest names in 2013 and 2014, Steps singer Claire made a string of guest appearances. She impressed bosses so much, she was soon promoted to a regular. However, a massive revamp of the show in the September of 2014 saw her leave the show with no explanation. (credit:REX)
Jenny Powell(12 of12)
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The 'Wheel Of Fortune' assistant was finally given a break from turning around letters on a board in 2004, when she joined the 'Loose Women' panel for a year. (credit:ITV)