Prince Harry of England has continued highlighting the importance of knowing your HIV status, after joining forces with singer 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 on Thursday, to help to raise awareness on World Aids Day (December 1).
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.
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.”
