Continuing his royal tour of the Caribbean, Prince Harry has teamed up with singer Rihanna to mark World Aids Day. On Thursday, the pair both took an aids test as they visited an HIV drop-in centre in Bridgetown, Barbados.
This follows one day after they attended a concert to celebrate Barbados' 50th anniversary of independence. The HIV tests, which were filmed live, took only a few minutes and came back as negative for the two.
HIV is a virus which attacks the immune system and weakens the body's ability to fight diseases. Over 100,000 people are living with HIV in the UK. Of these, 13,500 are undiagnosed and do not know about their HIV infection.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Harry and Rihanna took an HIV test to mark World Aids Day
Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust - a leading HIV and sexual health charity in the UK, said: "We couldn't hope for a stronger message against HIV stigma." He went on to praise the "formidable impact" this could have on millions of young people, later adding: "Thanks to Prince Harry and Rihanna's very public support for HIV testing, we are a step closer to a world without HIV stigma."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Prince has long been a supporter of the fight against HIV and AIDS
Meanwhile, this was the second time that Harry, 32, had taken a test in public in five months in a bid to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus. The royal has long been a supporter of the fight against HIV and AIDS. During a visit to a Barbados hospital on Wednesday, Harry met paediatric consultant and HIV expert Dr Amok Kumar, and told him: "I want to say to everyone who hadn't been tested - get tested, regardless of who you are, your background, culture or religion."
