| Stop The Drama Down Under |
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A new phase of ‘The Drama Downunder’, a nation-wide campaign encouraging gay men to become more savvy about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and to get regular sexual health checks, will be launched this month. Produced by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), the campaign has been designed to address rising rates of STIs among Australian gay men..There is particular concern that rising STI rates are partly driving new HIV diagnoses: having an STI can dramatically increase the potential for HIV to be transmitted during sex as sores and other irritations caused by STIs provide an effective gateway for the virus to pass from one body to the next. President of AFAO, Dr Graham Brown, points out why this second phase of the campaign is needed. “Behaviour change doesn’t happen overnight, and the increasing rates of STIs are still a major concern for gay men. For maximum impact and to get more men going for regular sexual health checks, a campaign such as this needs to be sustained over an extended period of time.” STIs are also of particular concern to people living with HIV. Robert Mitchell, President of the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), commends the campaign for highlighting the issues associated with STIs and the need for testing for people living with HIV. “Having a STI can not only make it easier to pass on HIV, it can also have a large impact on the health of someone living with HIV. This campaign explains what these impacts are and shows why regular sexual health checks are important for all HIV-positive people.” The multi-media ‘Drama Downunder’ campaign encourages homosexually active men in Australia to take care of ‘business downunder’, by improving their sexual health knowledge, and by getting regular sexual health checks. The campaign materials feature a model in various poses representing different messages about sexual health. In some of the images he is in various states of drama, downunder. InI some images his underpants are on fire; in others he has swirls of smoke rising up, and in others he appears happy. This range of images represents the fact that, while many STIs are all too obvious – being painful and/or irritating – others can have no symptoms at all. This makes regular sexual health checks vital for all sexually active men. The campaign also features a website, www.thedramadownunder.info, providing a comprehensive range of information about STIs, testing and treatment. The site also features two interactive services. The first is a reminder service where users can sign up for SMS or email reminders to book in for their sexual health checks. The second is a partner notification service where people who have recently been diagnosed with an STI can notify their partners via SMS or email anonymously if they wish, in order to look after the health of their partners. The Drama Downunder man will be seen nationally on billboards and Adshels, on public transport, in press ads, in ads on gay chat-sites and on other websites, and in a range of items containing sexual health information and referrals, including a booklet, posters, cruise cards and postcards for distribution at gay events and clinics. All product s will refer the reader to the campaign website www.thedramadownunder.info.
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