Out singer and AIDS activist Elton John
has praised Prince Harry for showing the world how “easy and simple
it is to take an HIV test.”
The entire test was broadcast live on
the royal family's Facebook page.
“In 1991, Princess Diana moved a
mountain by addressing the stigma surrounding people living with
HIV/AIDS,” Elton John said in an Instagram post. “She showed the
world we could safely wrap our arms around AIDS patients, by shaking
hands with a patient without gloves. We've made huge strides since
then in the treatment of the disease. People now live long, happy
lives with HIV, when the virus is effectively managed with
anti-retrovirals. Despite this amazing progress, most people today
are still frightened and stigmatised at the notion of taking an HIV
test. Today in London, Prince Harry gave that stigma a knock on the
head by showing the world how easy and simple it is to take an HIV
test. Bravo Prince Harry! Your mother would be so proud of you. @ejaf
#LoveBravery.”
Prince Harry, 31, took a so-called
instant test that reveals a person's HIV status from a small blood
sample in about one minute. Harry's test came back negative. The
test took place at Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital in London.
Harry co-founded the HIV/AIDS charity
Sentebale in memory of his mother, Princess Diana, and is working to
increase awareness of the disease.
“Gay, straight, black, white, ginger,
whatever – why wouldn't you just have a test?” he told viewers.
“It should be normalized. Everybody should get it.”
Prince Harry and Elton John are
scheduled to speak at next week's International AIDS Conference in
Durban, South Africa.