In observance of April STD Awareness month, I visited the women’s clinic today to get my annual checkup- just to make sure everything was as it should be [down there]. I spread my legs for the nurse who chatted me up the entire time to make me feel more comfortable as she felt me up and sampled my vaginal culture. I got stuck with a needle in order to draw blood. All of this (embarrassment, awkwardness, physical pain) I did for you! Because getting yourself checked is a two way responsibility. It’s not just being responsible for my own body, but for society as a whole. One of the worst things you can do is be the carrier and disseminator of a sexually transmitted disease. Getting yourself checked is being a good Samaritan.
.jpg "Dont Sleep With Scorpions")
Don't Sleep with Scorpions
For Atlantans, this is crucial. Did you know Georgia is ranked the third highest state with Syphilis cases after Louisiana and Alabama. 7.3 out of 100,000 people are infected with syphilis in Georgia. Georgia is also ranked 5th with Gonnorhea and 6th with Chlamydia (http://www.avert.org/stdstatisticusa.htm).
Atlanta is on the top ten list of reported AIDS cases by metropolitan area with 17,157 people as reported by the Center for Disease Control (2007). This does not even count the number of people living with HIV only.
What is more alarming is that persons under the age of 24 are at the highest risk of getting HIV/AIDS in the world. Young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide (http://www.avert.org/worldstats.htm).
What this all means is that we are swimming in a cesspool of disease other times known as Atlanta. It’s a war on disease, which side do you want to be on? I think I’ve done my civic duty today, but I’ll do just one more thing for the common good of ATL. Following are some Atlanta spots where you can get yourself checked out for HIV/AIDS for FREE! For STDs check this site to find a place near you: http://www.hivtest.org/search/result.cfm
FREE HIV TESTING ORGANIZATIONS in ATLANTA:
AID Atlanta Incorporated
1605 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-2433
Positive Impact Incorporated
139 Ralph McGill Blvd
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3339
AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta
131 Ponce de Leon Ave NE Ste 130
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Get yourself checked and check these sites out as well:
For the best information on all things sexually transmitted:
Atlanta is home to the Department of Health and Human Services:
Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov
http://www.cdc.gov/STD/
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
MTV Links
Because wherever you live, MTV is cool and has been using its power to preach safer sex for at least a decade!
YES YES YES Campaign
YES YES YES
A “Say Yes to Safe Sex” campaign by MTV and The Body Shop.
Staying Alive Campaign
MTV’s global HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention campaign
For good stats on HIV & AIDS:
Avert
Say yes to safe sex & celebrate STD Awareness month by getting yo ass (or other private part) in check!
Futurista
Where’d you get those pics from?!
Pics are from a safe sex ad campaign created by TBWA Paris! I really just did a google image search for ‘safe sex’. See what you find!
And I thought it would behoove me to actually state that I did read the post. Very imperative that ppl get themselves tested.
Those pics are crazy! But they get peoples attention, go get checked! You don’t wanna end up feeling like you have a scorpion down there!
I’m mad that spider and scorpion are gettin’ some….
Responsible reporting.. keep it up!
You’re SO cute mamak!!!
[...] Does that sound too HARD? lol Now its your turn to let fem-fATL know whats up. Oh… and please remember that abstinence is the key to STD and pregnancy prevention. lol But, if you must, wrap it before you tap it. Guys & Girls, you can still give and receive STDs from giving and receiving oral sex. For more info, check out Futurista’s safe sex post. [...]
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