Prince Harryand a sporting legend joined forces on Friday to help highlight the need for more understanding about HIV — and to beat the stigma surrounding testing.
Thomas, 45, told PEOPLE: “[Harry] knows the stigma that’s out there, he knows the fear of people not wanting to be tested because they’re so afraid of what they don’t know, and he understands the lack of education out there. So to stand up and actually take a test himself is a real sign of bravery, and a real sign of somebody who doesn’t want to just communicate to certain people, he wants to communicate to everybody.”
“That stigma is real, it’s not just a word but a real thing,” he continued. “William and Harry want to be part of helping everybody because they realize it’s everybody’s human right regardless of your sexual orientation or your status you’re allowed to be able to continue living your life.”
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Harry, 35, has undergone two HIV tests in public in recent years –one alongside singerRihannain 2016.
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Thomas said: “This is the next step for me. I could easily stop still and go home and have a lovely life with my husband. But I choose not to. I choose to continue to keep fighting the fight that I started but not on my own.”
Shibemba, who has met Harry before, said she used the opportunity on Friday to follow up with him on their previous conversation.
“Last time we met, we talked about youth involvement in activism and he was saying that it was important you are not always presenting problems, you’re actually saying here’s a solution,” she said. “And today, I said, ‘I’ve followed on with your advice of don’t just present a government with problems but we have also come up with a solution.’ He seemed really excited about that.”
“It’s been a whirlwind but I’ve got along with it because I’ve had so much public support,” he says. “That’s been surprising as it’s something I wasn’t really expecting —but that’s been empowering. There are times when I’ve felt down but the overwhelming amount of support has meant that my life has been fulfilled from giving out this very private information than I thought it might have been.”
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In a statement released on Friday, Thomas said, “I spoke out about living with HIV not for me, but for all those people who are struggling and don’t have a platform. For them I want to do everything I can to challenge stigma and out dated views about HIV. That’s why I’m thrilled to be joining the HIV Commission because I want to be a part of a positive change and play a role in driving us towards our goal where no-one else contracts HIV.”
source: people.com
