Portland, OR – April 2, 2009 – Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) is proud to participate in a nationwide campaign with MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation and to officially unveil “GYT: Get Yourself Tested,” a campaign to increase testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among those under 25 years of age.
GYT kicks off with a mix of promotions on-air, online and in the real world that will unfold throughout the month of April in recognition of National STD Awareness Month. The central hub of the campaign, www.GYT09.org, will provide comprehensive information about STDs and will direct users to the nearest testing location simply by entering a zip code. A mobile companion to GYT09.org, the GYT short code (49809), provides details about local testing locations to mobile phones by texting a zip code.
“Most people are shocked to learn that, by age 25, one in two sexually active young people will have an STD. This is not just a statistic, but the reality of what Planned Parenthood health centers see every day,” said David Greenberg, PPCW President and CEO. “The GYT campaign is an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn what Planned Parenthood knows — that affordable testing, treatment and education are the tools teens and young people need to stay healthy and safe.”
An all-star collective of pop culture personalities are carrying the GYT message far and wide, appearing in a series of attention-getting on-air and online promotions on MTV and other MTV Network properties this month; blasting out GYT on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms; wearing GYT on their chest and sleeves; and of course, going to get tested for STDs.
From OMG to LOL, acronyms saturate young people’s everyday vernacular, acting as common methods of communication. Playing off mobile and Web slang, GYT is an easy way for young people to talk about sexual health and getting tested for STDs. GYT will help young people internalize the risk of STDs and eliminate taboos and stigmas surrounding STDs and STD testing.
All of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette’s health centers throughout Oregon and SW Washington offer STD testing and treatment services. To make an appointment at a health center or for more information about STD testing, community members should contact PPCW at 1-888-875-7820 or visit www.ppcw.org. To learn more about the GYT campaign, visit www.GYT09.org.
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) is the largest non-profit family planning and reproductive rights organization in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Since 1963, PPCW has successfully carried out its mission of providing, promoting and protecting access to quality reproductive and sexual health care. Each year, approximately 60,000 women, men and teens visit one of PPCW’s eleven health centers. We provide a wide range of education programs and health care services, including low-cost contraceptives, emergency contraception, annual gynecological check-ups, breast exams, cervical cancer detection and treatment, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy testing and options counseling. Approximately five percent of PPCW’s services are for first term abortion care. For more information, visit
www.ppcw.org.
