It's hard not to love Jonathan van Ness, or JVN as he's known by his fans. The celebrity hairdresser, podcaster and grooming expert on Queer Eye lifts up those around him with his signature 'Yas Queen' mantras and his larger-than-life personality.
The TV star's very public storytelling of how he struggled with drug addiction and being a sexual abuse survivor, and his announcement in 2019 that he is living with HIV, has inspired many to get tested and to speak openly about their own battles. Speaking out also helped tackle the ongoing stigma that surrounds those living with HIV.
It was when JVN fainted while working in a salon, aged 25, that he found out he was HIV positive. He visited non-profit organisation Planned Parenthood who gave him the diagnosis the following day.
"Jonathan Van Ness is a formative and compelling voice in combating HIV stigma. He is a fierce advocate for increased access to sexual and reproductive health care" - Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, praised the star, telling HELLO!: "Jonathan Van Ness is a formative and compelling voice in combating HIV stigma. He is a fierce advocate for increased access to sexual and reproductive health care.
"In 2019, when the Trump administration jeopardized health care for millions by cutting funding for providers who refer patients to abortions, Jonathan used his platform to bring awareness to the role the health care providers at Planned Parenthood played in his own life – and in the lives of so many others.
"We are so grateful to Jonathan for using his personal journey to encourage people to get tested for STIs and have open, honest, and shame-free conversations about their sexual health."
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