In a video released this week, Prince
Harry praises UK rugby star Gareth Thomas for tackling the stigma
surrounding HIV.
The 45-year-old Thomas came out
publicly as gay in 2009 and retired from the sport in 2011. In
September, he announced that he's living with HIV.
In the video – produced by the UK HIV
charity The Terrence Higgins Trust for HIV Testing Week – Prince
Harry and Thomas discuss the misconceptions surrounding being HIV
positive.
“We do so much around our health –
going to the dentist, going to the doctor – but when it comes to
sexual health testing there’s the stigma and fear around it,”
Thomas
said. “Because I wasn’t educated about HIV, I thought I had
been given a death sentence when I was diagnosed and I don’t want
anyone else to go through that.”
“I want to prove there’s life after
a positive diagnosis and show everyone the realities of HIV.”
“I take one pill a day which keeps me
healthy; means I have absolutely no fear of passing on HIV to my
husband and means I’m fit enough to do an Ironman!” he added.
The Duke of Sussex praised Thomas for
raising awareness and tackling the stigma surrounding HIV.
Prince Harry said that everyone should
get tested to “make it easier for those that are fearful, that are
scared to come forward.”