Over the years, along with its stories of romance and family life, Emmerdale has highlighted a range of different social issues. The issues it has covered include: rape (including marital rape), sexual assault, child sexual abuse, prostitution, domestic violence, childhood cancer, HIV, mesothelioma, epilepsy, brain aneurysm, dementia, teenage pregnancy, premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome, homosexuality, asexuality, being transgender, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anorexia, self-harm, suicide, assisted suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, and gambling addiction.