Private MD News

MTVs 'Get Yourself Tested' campaign increases STD testing

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Throughout National STD Awareness Month in April, MTV spearheaded a campaign to increase STD awareness and encourage teens and young adults to get an STD test. Initial reports from participants in the campaign, called Get Yourself Tested or GYT, indicate that it was successful in educating young Americans under 25 and motivating an increase in STD testing.

The April-long Get Yourself Tested campaign does seem to have had some positive results. Targeted at social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, activity at all the sites was high, indicating young adults were paying attention.

Response at testing centers tracked by the organizers of the campaign showed significant increases in the number of young adults getting an STD test.

"The results speak for themselves," said Stephen Friedman, General Manager of MTV. "Young people around the nation heard the GYT message in April and went out to get tested." Friedman said the program would continue.

According to the CDC, one in four teen girls in the U.S. have at least one common STD. Other estimates find that as many as half of all sexually-active young people will contract an STD by age 25 and the majority of those infected will not be aware of it.