A Liberal Democrat candidate has done a bold interview about his struggle to be accepted as gay, which led him to contemplate suicide and to intentionally set out to catch HIV as he embarked on a path of self 'annihilation.'

Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett, a candidate for Vauxhall in London, hopes that by speaking out he will help to reduce the stigma surrounding the disease and give people who suffer mental health problems from homophobic bullying the courage to do the same.

The 36-year-old revealed he attempted suicide on a few occasions, took countless drugs, got involved in the gay wrestling scene and put himself in vulnerable situations after he decided that catching HIV could be one way for him to die.

Lib Dem candidate Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett has spoken about his struggles with being accepted as gay, which led him to attempt suicide and go on a path of destruction to contract HIV as a way of 'ending things'

He told Buzzfeed: 'I thought, "What's another way of doing it?" Even though I knew people were surviving from HIV, I thought, "Perhaps if I can make myself so ill, get the worst strain possible, that would be one way of getting rid of myself.'''

But the prospective MP said he realised once he was diagnosed he did not want HIV at all, and that all his actions were just an attempt to 'annihilate' himself.

The disclosures have made Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett the first parliamentary candidate to discuss being HIV positive publicly. Labour MP Chris Smith previously announced his HIV positive status when he was leaving the House of Commons for the Lords.

Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett recalled times when he was teased, bullied and beaten at school for being gay, leading him to attempt suicide twice while he was still at school. He even developed fibromyalgia as a result of the stress, leaving him housebound and bedbound at the tender age of 14.

He moved from Norwich to London in 2001 after completing his degree in European Studies with Italian and French at the University of Kent.

In the city he experienced another form of the isolation he felt while a teenager and started meeting men on the internet before he got involved in the gay wrestling scene. Some of these sessions led to more and during one he was asked to appear in a gay wrestling pornographic film, and agreed.

Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett is being supported by the Liberal Democrats and is pictured (right) talking to Nick Clegg

Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett (left) is pictured with Brian Paddick (centre) at an event for the Liberal Democrats

Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett is pictured with Julia Cambridge, parliamentary candidate for Chesterfield

Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett is a dedicated Liberal Democrat, pictured at a campaigning event in London

This led to him doing dozens of drugs and moving from one partner to another, before he contemplated how to catch HIV.

The politician put himself in risky situations, engaging in sex sessions fueled by drugs that would often see him abused or overdosing, and frequently left him unconscious.

'If you don't care about yourself any longer you then do things that will harm you and think in a way that puts you in danger. This is what mental ill-health does. I was thinking, "Who can I find who's the most dangerous person to go to, who isn't well, who could deliver that knockout blow?"'

As he descended into this dangerous spiral, Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett, got his wish and was diagnosed with HIV.

But it was only after he was diagnosed, and found he had a form that was also resistant to a number of retroviral drugs, that the prospective parliamentary candidate realised he had not been seeking HIV, but just an escape from himself.

The LGBT activist, who married his partner earlier this month, said he feels he owes it to people in similar situations to speak about the issues.

He has called for drugs to become 'a health issue not a criminal one', and said the mental health and wellbeing of gay people must be addressed.

Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett, who married his partner last weekend, also said same-sex education should be compulsory in all schools from a young age.

A number of people posted messages supporting Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett's disclosure about being HIV positive

His frank interview has been praised, and the Liberal Democrats have also pledged their support for him.

A spokesman said: 'This is a very brave step from Adrian. He has a lot of support in our party and we wish him all the best. He speaks on behalf of many people who will hopefully look to him as someone who has come through difficult times, and is now dedicating himself to helping others and standing up for his community.'

Others have posted words of encouragement on Twitter, praising the candidate for his courage and honesty.

THE GLOBAL TOLL OF HIV AND AIDS Worldwide, more than 33 million people have HIV. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS is spread via blood, semen and breast milk. There is no cure for the infection, but AIDS can be kept at bay for many years with cocktails of antiretroviral drugs. The pandemic began more than 30 years ago and has killed up to 40 million people worldwide. But research published in July by the United Nations showed AIDS-related deaths worldwide dropped to 1.5 million last year, from 1.7 million the year before. That was the sharpest annual decline since the epidemic's peak in 2004 and 2005 - and marked a 35 per cent drop from the 2.4 million deaths in both those years. New infections also fell to 2.1 million last year, down 38 per cent compared to the 3.4 million in 2001. But with more than half of the 35 million people with HIV unaware they are infected, the battle is far from over however, warned Michel Sidibe, head of UNAIDS - the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Advertisement

Writing on Liberal Democrat Voice, Caron Lindsay said: 'I am feeling incredibly emotional this evening. What I’m feeling ranges from intense pride in a friend whose courage in telling his story will help others, to equally intense, ice-cold rage at what he has had to endure over the years.'

She said she hoped the interview would help tackle homophobic bullying.

Mr Hyyrylainen-Trett joined the Liberal Democrats in 2006 and has twice stood in local council elections.

Dr Rosemary Gillespie, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust said: 'Adrian has made a really brave decision in speaking so openly about his HIV status. More than 100,000 people live with HIV in the UK. They come from all walks of life. However, we know that many people may not feel able to speak openly about their experiences, for fear of judgement and discrimination.

'Anyone in the public eye who speaks out will help raise awareness and is in a position to challenge the stigma and misconceptions around HIV.

'We agree with Adrian that the best starting point to address this issue is compulsory sex and relationships education throughout the schools system. Young people leaving school should feel confident about who they are, and empowered to have healthier relationships, regardless of their sexuality. Politicians have the power to make this happen.'