Prince Harry chose to make a very private moment public all in the name of health when he took a HIV test and broadcast it on Facebook Live earlier this month.
The 31-year-old royal visited the Burrell Street centre, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’s hospital, in central London to do the quick procedure which was put live on the royal family’s Facebook page on July 12.
It was all part of the Terrance Higgins Trust’s plan to help launch a trial offering people the chance to order free BioSure HIV test and to find out their status at home in 15-minutes.
Before the test, Harry admitted he was nervous, saying: “Even being the person I am and knowing the type of people I’m around, I’m still nervous.”
He had to wait a few short minutes before getting back a negative result.
Following Harry’s involvement the THT has experienced a 500 per cent increase in people ordering home testing kits – each and every device helping to further fight the spread of HIV and AIDS.
This week in a statement on the Terrence Higgins Trust website Dr Michael Brady, Medical Director for the organisation, said: “We know that one in six people living with HIV do not know that they have it.
“Testing puts you in control and, thanks to treatment, will stop you from getting seriously ill, enable you to live a normal lifespan and prevent you from passing the virus on to anyone else.”
Following the result of his live test Harry was quick to point out that even if he did get a positive result the life of someone with HIV does not mean a death sentence.
The prince then laid down the gauntlet to those who might be watching.
“So whether you’re a man, woman, gay, straight, black, white… or even ginger, why wouldn’t you come and have a test?”
By highlighting HIV and Aids, Harry is following in the footsteps of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who was fiercely involved in trying to campaign for research and treatment for people living with the virus.
Do you need a HIV test? Ask your local GP how or visit the AIDS Trust of Australia.
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