Over two
million people watched as the U.K.'s Prince Harry (the late Princess Diana's
youngest son) appeared on Facebook Live earlier this year to show how easy,
quick, and painless it is to get tested for HIV — and to support the Terrence Higgins Trust, the
largest non-profit organization supporting people living with HIV in Europe.
Since then orders of the rapid HIV test have increased 5,000 percent.
“It’s so
important that we continue looking for new ways to make HIV testing more
accessible to those most at risk,” Dr. Michael Brady, the medical director for
the Terrence Higgins Trust, told reporters. “[That’s] why it’s fantastic to see
the very tangible and immediate impact of Prince Harry’s support for HIV
testing.”
A similar
impact was seen in the U.S. when Charlie Sheen came out as HIV-positive,
demonstrating the power of celebrities to raise awareness among the general
public. The Charlie Sheen effect didn’t just bring about an increase in
testing. It also caused a huge increase in HIV reporting. A study conducted by Seth Noar of the University of
North Carolina School of Media, and published in JAMA
Internal Medicine, an American Medical Association journal, discovered that
Sheen’s disclosure caused a 265 percent increase in news reports mentioning HIV
(97 percent of which also mentioned Sheen).
Let’s hope more
celebrities will follow in the royal footsteps, publicly getting tested and
calling on fans to know their status.
Watch Prince
Harry's HIV testing video below:
Hooray for His Royal Highness! It is good to see that the late Princess Diana's legacy continues through the efforts of her sons. Thank you for sharing this, buddy! Naked hugs!
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