Prince Harry urges Brits to get HIV tests

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The Duke of Sussex, 37, has joined forces with former Welsh rugby captain Gareth Thomas, who lives with HIV, for a video on the topic to raise awareness. The men both urged people to “know your status” and get tested, with Harry saying he hopes to follow in his mother’s footsteps by working to eradicate stigma and misunderstanding surrounding the virus.

In the video, Harry – who appears to be at his Montecito home – makes reference to the “extraordinary” progress made by the medical community in making HIV a “manageable disease”.

However, the Duke, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020, stressed that “we have to finish the job”.

The pair discussed that more needs to be done to achieve the UK goal of ending new HIV cases by 2030.

Harry explained that more and more people have begun to speak openly about the condition in the last 35 years after his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, opened the first Aids unit at London’s Middlesex Hospital.

The specialist HIV/AIDS unit was opened in April 1987 and challenged the myth it could be spread by touch by famously pictured shaking hands with Aids patients.

She said: “HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them a hug. Heaven knows they need it.

“What’s more, you can share their homes, their workplaces, and their playgrounds and toys.”

Harry explains that he feels “obligated” to continue Diana’s work on combatting the stigma around HIV, as she “smashed the wall down”.

He also said she created “empathy and understanding, but also curiosity” at that time.

Many royal fans praised the Duke for his role in raising awareness of such a significant issue.

Melanie wrote: “Good to see positive coverage!”, while another replied to the video of the Duke with “yes prince” alongside an emoji wearing sunglasses.

While Nina added: “I am so happy Harry has finally these past years embraced his mother’s memory and legacy and wants to continue her work.”

One fan called Hubert, also made reference to the legacy left by his mother, writing: “What Diana and Madonna did to educate people on HIV is amazing… so many stayed silence”.

In the clip released by Tackle HIV, Harry went on to add what motivates him to continue her legacy in the area and said he had been influenced by the suffering caused by the virus during visits to Lesotho and Botswana.

He said: “I think once you get to meet people and you see the suffering around the world, I certainly can’t turn my back on that.

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“Then add in the fact that my mum’s work was unfinished, I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible.

“I could never fill her shoes especially in this particular space but because of what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue.

He added: “But it’s the converging of all these different pieces, the work that she was doing, trying to continue that, trying to finish the job but once you’ve met so many people, heard people’s stories, seen the suffering, especially in Lesotho and Botswana where I’ve seen it most, there is a way out of it.

“And if there’s a way out of it and we know there’s a solution, I’m like a typical guy, I just want to fix things.”

The Prince joined forces with Gareth for the discussion to mark the UK’s National HIV Testing Week.

Gareth disclosed his HIV status in 2019, and said his own diagnosis had given him “an appreciation of life”

Since then the former rugby star has since launched Tackle HIV alongside ViiV Healthcare in 2020 to educate people about the virus.

This is also not the first time Harry has spoken about the subject, as back in 2016 he was tested at the Burrell Street centre, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’s hospital, in central London, for the virus and the procedure was broadcast live on the Royal Family’s Facebook page.

The broadcast contributed to a 500 percent increase in the number of people requesting a test on the Terrence Higgins Trust website.

In the UK this week, you can order a free HIV test kit to do at home via www.startswithme.org.uk

People can also get tested for HIV at their local sexual health clinic or at community clinics like those held by Terrence Higgins Trust and other voluntary organisations.

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