STD Awareness Month -- April 2009

We are in the middle of STD awareness month, which means we should all probably take a few minutes and do just that: be aware. The observance of STD awareness month is intended to normalize STD testing and conversations about sexual health.

The American Social Health Association officially sponsors STD Awareness Month. There are several organizations working together to put on events and post information about STD awareness this month, including Planned Parenthood, Kaiser Family Foundation, and MTV. These three organizations are currently running the “Get Yourself Tested” campaign. According to this campaign, by age 25, one in two sexually active people will have and STD. Most of these people won’t know it.  Fortunately, all STDs, including HIV, are treatable, and many, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, are curable.

Visit this site to learn more about the GYT campaign and this information: http://itsyoursexlife.com/gyt?utm_source=gyt09

These organizations provide opportunities for everyone to get involved. You can visit the ASHA website to download an STD awareness month poster, write a letter to the editor of any local newspaper, hold awareness events at local schools (such as the Bermashave held on the UNC campus last week), or simply talk to friends and family members about the information you have learned about STDs and how to protect yourself.

April is also National Alcohol Awareness Month, Counseling Awareness Month, Foot Health Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Cancer Control Month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, among many others. For a full list of health observance months, weeks, and days, along with the sponsoring organizations, visit the National Health Information Center at: http://www.healthfinder.gov/nho/nho.asp#m4