Prince Harry and Rihanna take HIV tests to mark World Aids Day
By Will Stroude
Prince Harry has continued highlighting the importance of knowing your HIV status, after joining forces with Rihanna to take an on-camera finger-prick test.
The British royal and pop superstar took tests together in Rihanna’s home country of Barbados yesterday, to help to raise awareness on World Aids Day (1 December).
Harry has been campaigning to encourage more people to get tested and made headlines around the world this summer after taking an HIV test live on Facebook.
“I want to say to everyone who hasn’t been tested: get tested, regardless of who you are, your background, culture or religion,” said 32-year-old Harry.
Reacting to yesterday’s public testing, Ian Green, the chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We couldn’t hope for a stronger message,” in the fight against HIV stigma. He added that after the prince’s highly publicised earlier test, the charity saw a five-fold spike in requests for home HIV-testing kits.
“By joining forces, Prince Harry and Rihanna are making a bold statement to normalise HIV testing and this will have a formidable impact on millions of young people all over the world,” Green said.
“It is our hope that young people grow up informed about HIV and empowered to take control of their sexual health. Thanks to Prince Harry and Rihanna’s very public support, we are a step closer to this – and to a world without HIV stigma.
“The HIV epidemic is far from over but if more people follow Prince Harry and Rihanna’s example, one day it could be.”
🎥 Watch Prince Harry and @Rihanna test for HIV, to show how easy the process is #WorldsAIDSDay #RoyalVisitBarbados #ProTESTHIV pic.twitter.com/RfSvDX8vQ9
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) 1 December 2016
To order a free self-sampling HIV kit, go to test.hiv, and to find your nearest sexual health clinic, visit nhs.uk.More stories:
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