A video of Prince Harry undergoing a HIV test live on Facebook has been hailed as “a groundbreaking moment” in the fight against the illness.
The 31-year-old attended London’s Guys and St. Thomas’ Hospital this morning to become the first royal to publicly take the test.
The five-minute video was posted to the “Royal Family” Facebook page, where it has been viewed more than 160,000 times - and that’s just the first hour.
Within one minute of having the test, Prince Harry’s result of the test came back as negative.
The royal, who is passionate about ending stigma around the illness, took the test to show how easy it is.
“It is amazing how quick it is, some blood tests you have to wait a couple of weeks for,” Harry said.
Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said, in a statement: “Prince Harry’s decision to take an HIV test, live on social media, is a groundbreaking moment in the fight against HIV.”
Green added: “Not only does it show His Royal Highness’s genuine and personal commitment to tackling the HIV epidemic, it will amplify a message to millions all over the world: testing for HIV is easy, quick and nothing to be feared.
“Thanks to treatment, testing for HIV could stop you from getting seriously ill, enable you to live a normal lifespan and prevent you from passing the virus on to anyone else. That’s why it’s so invaluable to have Prince Harry’s support as we aim to bust stigma and end the HIV epidemic.”
