Andrea Meza of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2020 on 16th May 2021 in Hollywood, Florida, and became the third Mexican woman to be crowned Miss Universe. The beauty queen is using the platform of Miss Universe 2020 and the influence that comes along to make a significant change in society. Her first act as a beauty queen was to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and encourage everyone to get vaccinated as well.
Andrea Meza took a rapid HIV test at GMHC in New York on the 21st of June 2021, ahead of the 27th June 2021, which is known as National HIV Testing Day. The testing event was organized by the Latino Commission on AIDS, which has been partnering with the Miss Universe Organization for the past 15 years to spread HIV awareness. Andrea learned about the importance of taking care of one's sexual health.
Talking about her experience, Andrea stated that she was very impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of everyone at the GMHC and the test was super-fast. "They ask you some personal questions, but everything was confidential, so I was super fine with that. And in 20 minutes, I was out of there," she added.
The beauty queen believes that her platform gives her an excellent reach for the people, and she understands that many people in the community are hesitant to get tested for HIV, and she believes that as a beauty queen, she can encourage people to get tested. “Sometimes we don’t get tested because we are afraid of the results, but, if we know if we are positive or negative, we can take action on that. That’s why I’m doing this, and that’s why I’m encouraging [people] to do it," Andrea added.
The diva mentions that she comes from a very conservative or Catholic country where it’s hard to talk about sex and it is seen as taboo, but she is grateful that her Latin community is not afraid to talk about things like sex or HIV/AIDS and, above all, they encourage people to educate themselves and get informed and spread the word about the same, as it is an essential thing to do.
Andrea shared her healthy lifestyle, saying, "I love working out, and I love having healthy eating habits. We forget that we only have one body in this life, and if we don’t take care of it, we’re going to regret it at some point in our lives. That’s why it’s so important to go to the doctor and to get tested and to just take care of yourself. Not only for you but also your partner, to enjoy all these things that life can give you. "
Lastly, Andrea stated that she understands that getting tested for HIV can be scary because of the stigma and misinformation about the disease, but the process is easy, fast, and confidential. She stated that she wanted to encourage people to get tested because it was the right thing to do and that the professionals would treat them with respect and not judge them. She also learned about HIV testing during her visit and her act of getting a rapid test was applauded by everyone across the world.