Prince Harry Takes the HIV Test Live on Facebook

What we know of HIV is that it thrives off silence and feeds off stigma: Prince Harry

Prince Harry gets his blood taken to test for HIV to create awareness about the condition (Photo Courtesy: apexchange.com)

Prince Harry got tested for HIV in an attempt to spread awareness about the condition. It was broadcast live on the Royal Family’s Facebook page.

Prince Harry visited a sexual health clinic in Burrell Street, in Central London to take the finger prick test, for which he tested negative.

Spreading awareness about AIDS and HIV has become a vital part Prince Harry’s public work. He wishes for individuals to be self-aware and to come together to normalize the process and remove the stigma that surrounds the condition.

The overall HIV prevalence in 2014 was 1.9 per 1,000 people aged 15 and over and statistics show that about 18,100 people living with HIV were unaware of their infection and at risk of unknowingly passing it on. Gay men and Black African women are the two groups most susceptible to this disease.

Robert Palmer, who carried out the procedure, reported that, Prince Harry appeared anxious prior to the test but didn’t have to wait too long before his blood sample was mixed with chemicals on a test tray to give the result. The unambiguous negative result was clearly indicated with the ‘singular’ blue spot seen in the tray.

So whether you are a man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, whatever, or even ginger – why wouldn’t you come and have a test?

Prince Harry 

His effort to take the HIV test has been described as a “groundbreaking moment in the fight against HIV” by Ian Green, the chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust.

Prince Harry will be attending the International AIDS Conference in Durban, on the 20th of July 2016.