LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global HIV/AIDS organization, has unveiled a new billboard campaign this week that encourages people experiencing painful symptoms to get tested for possible STDs. The billboard will appear in four locations across Los Angeles, including Vine St. and Santa Monica Blvd. as well as Century Blvd and La Cienega. Featuring the tagline “Feel the Burn?”, the billboard parodies presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders’ popular catchphrase and references his campaign’s clean, bright artwork design. With reported cases of STDs such as gonorrhea and syphilis on the rise nationwide, the playful advertisement urges people in L.A., especially younger residents, to protect their health by participating in STD screenings.
“Senator Sanders’ powerful message resonates with a lot of Americans, particularly young people,” said Jason Farmer, Senior Director of Creative at AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “We hope that our lighthearted—but highly important—billboard campaign for STD testing will as well.”
The CDC estimates that young people aged 15-24 account for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections each year in the U.S. However, many cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis continue to go undiagnosed and untreated. These infections not only increase an individual’s risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV, but they also threaten one’s immediate and long-term health and wellbeing. CDC recommends routine STD screening among sexually active and pregnant women as well as gay and bisexual men.
AHF’s Wellness Centers provide free testing for sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV. To find the nearest location for STD screening and treatment, visit http://www.freestdcheck.org.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 594,000 individuals in 35 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
