Harry inspires HIV testing surge

PRINCE Harry’s public HIV test led to a five-fold increase in orders for self-testing kits, a charity said yesterday.

The Terrence Higgins Trust credited Harry, 31, with a surge in demand for a 15-minute home test offering people the chance to discover their HIV status.

The kits were offered in a pilot project that began last month but there was a flurry of interest in the two days immediately after Harry tested negative live on Facebook on July 14. Orders rose from 32 per day to 150 per day.

Dr Michael Brady, the antiAids trust’s medical director, said: “We know that one in six people living with HIV does not know they have it.

“Testing puts you in control and, thanks to treatment, will stop you from getting seriously ill, enable you to live a normal lifespan and prevent you from passing the virus on to anyone else. It’s fantastic to see the very tangible and immediate impact of Prince Harry’s support for HIV testing.”

Harry is to spend the next few weeks working on conservation projects in southern Africa after a similar trip last year.

The fifth in line to the throne flew to Africa earlier this week to begin his latest venture.

One of the projects he will work on is African Parks’ 500 Elephants initiative, a plan to move up to 500 elephants to a wildlife reserve in central Malawi from two parks in the southern part of the country.

The elephants are being moved to reduce pressure on the habitat and conflict with neighbouring villagers.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “This summer’s work will further enhance his personal firsthand experience of initiatives that support some of Africa’s most pressing conservation challenges.”