“Why wouldn't you come in and get a test?”
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In an attention-grabbing piece of social media hoopla, England’s favorite rogue Prince Harry aired his HIV test live on Facebook for all the world to see on Thursday. The goal was to promote awareness, both of the importance of getting tested and how to show just how easy it is.
It was a bold move for the royal family’s first-ever Facebook Live video, following in the footsteps of Harry’s mother Princess Diana, and her fervent activism on behalf of HIV awareness. The prince admits to being nervous at first, then visibly loosens up as the test proceeds.
The entire video—and the procedure itself—lasts a grand total of five minutes. Prince Harry receives a rapid HIV test, which involves nothing more than a pinprick, a smear, and results within a minute (the prince tested negative). This particular test screens for the antibodies produced by the body to combat HIV.
"Whether you're a man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, even ginger; why wouldn't you come in and get a test?" the jovial prince quipped.
The event was lauded by HIV prevention organizations as a triumph. “Not only does it show His Royal Highness’s genuine and personal commitment to tackling the HIV epidemic,” said Ian Green, head of Terrence Higgins Trust, in a statement, “it will amplify a message to millions all over the world: testing for HIV is easy, quick and nothing to be feared."
Prince Harry believes his generation needs to take leadership in the fight against HIV, or risk losing the gains of those who've come before— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) 1468495488
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