STD Awareness Month, Ya’ll

Posted: Apr 15th to AIDS, Desire, Doing It, HIV, HPV, Pleasure, STD, STI, Safe Sex, Sexual Health by DFK

An anonymous e-card informing past partners of potential infection via http://inspot.org/

April is National STD Awareness Month recognized by the CDC. Have you had your STDs checked out? Let’s start with a little stats, shall we? In 2008, there was 1.2 million newly reported cases of chlamydia. For syphilis, California ranked “10 among 50 states” where the rate among males was 11.4 per 100,000 population versus the U.S. male rate of 7.6 per 100,000 (stats sheet). Let’s not forget that gonorrhea is at risk of becoming a superbug. It’s not that I’m trying to scare you into getting tested, it’s that I’m trying to make your sex that much hotter. Without being concerned if you are infected because you are using proper safer sex techniques and getting regularly tested, you can enjoy some of that dirty beast sexing. You can search for testing centers closet to you by using the CDC supported search page. And just to put it out there, after you get tested you can submit an anonymous review to me so I that can post the review on my blog for others to use in making an informed choice for getting tested.

One of the many great ways of protecting yourself is having an open and honest talk with your new/existing sexual partner. When was the last time they had sex? What does sex mean to them? Did they use protection during sex? When was the last time they were tested? This is not to be substituted with actual protection and testing, but it’s a great communication exercise with your partner, as well as building trust. Don’t think this kind of conversation can be sexy? Think again. Try not to think of this as giving your partner a checklist, but getting to know your partner better *insert happy Disney music here*. This kind of conversation, coupled with safer sex techniques and regular testing will keep you on the high road to a happy, healthy and delicious sex life, my friends.

While we’re discussing STD’s, lets delve into another aspect of sexuality I like to discuss — advertising.

First off, I’d like to present my favorite STD awareness ad FAIL entitled “homoboy,” wherein the San Francisco Department of Public Health tried to reached out to men of color who have sex with men and used the tagline “Don’t Be a Bitch, Use a Condom.” Um, excuse me? Let’s take a look, shall we?

First off, by stating that the audience was “men of color who have sex with men” assumes that all men of color maintain a masculine, thuggish personality, and secondofly (yes, that’s a word), it’s obviously playing on the whole Down Low phenomena/scare by adding the woman at the bottom of the poster. The language and images the ad uses is insulting, in my not so humble opinion.

Some of my favorite advertisements are as follows:

In 2007 I posted two videos by a French AIDS awareness campaign that I found to be pretty damn adorable, check out the videos HERE.

Recently the Berkeley Free Clinic created an ad encouraging the local community to use their clinic, watch below:

Berkeley Free Clinic Ad: