Elton John launches Valentine YouTube campaign

Sir Elton John has enlisted his celebrity friends to back a Valentine’s Day campaign to raise awareness of Aids.

The singer has persuaded stars including Jessie J, Jamie Oliver and Elizabeth Hurley to take part, by pricking their finger to draw a spot of blood and then tweet an image of it accompanied by the words “Love Is In My Blood”.

Sir Elton said: “Now more than ever we know how to beat Aids.

“Thanks to incredible work by the Aids community over the past 20 years we now have affordable, quality treatment which saves lives and dramatically reduces the chances of passing on HIV. But these medicines don’t work against prejudice and discrimination.

“It’s time to stop treating people who are most vulnerable to HIV as outcasts. Everyone deserves the chance to protect themselves. Surely we have enough love for that.”

The campaign also includes a film by Chinese artist Ai WeiWei.

The artist, who filled the Tate Modern turbine hall with porcelain sunflower seeds in 2010, said: “I wanted to contribute by finding an expression that raises awareness for this crisis among as many people as possible.”

Two versions of his film will run on YouTube.