Planned Parenthood Celebrates STD Awareness Month with Get Yourself Tested Activities
Planned Parenthood Celebrates STD Awareness Month with Get Yourself Tested Activities
Get Yourself Tested campaign reminds New Jersey that STD testing and treated is critical to public health
TRENTON, NJ – As National STD Awareness Month comes to a close, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ) looks back at the impactful work completed this month to ensure that all New Jerseyans know their status and take control of their health and lives.
- Free STD Testing Week – April 16-21 marked Free STD Testing Week at Planned Parenthood health centers across New Jersey. We were able to provide more than 1,300 patients with free testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV – nearly 30 percent more patients than usual for a one-week period. This opportunity was advertised across the state using digital marketing, as well as an eye-catching mobile billboard which drove more than 500 miles across the state – see a photo here.
- Free Testing Extended – In fact, Free STD Testing Week was so successful, Planned Parenthood’s two New Jersey affiliates, Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey, have decided to extend free STD testing through the entire month of May. At all of New Jersey’s Planned Parenthood health centers, individuals can walk in during normal business hours this month to receive free STD testing. For more information, visit PPNCSNJ’s website here.
- Local Resolutions – At multiple levels of government, local elected officials across the state stood with Planned Parenthood and issued resolutions in support of Get Yourself Tested:
- County Freeholders of Bergen, Camden, Essex, and Mercer Counties issued county resolutions;
- Mayors of Jersey City, Morristown, New Brunswick, Ocean Township, and Red Bank, and the Deputy Mayor of Asbury Park issued mayoral proclamations;
- Springfield Township Committee issued a township resolution.
- Photos from many of these events can be found on Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey’s Facebook page.
- Statewide Advocacy – Supporters of Planned Parenthood took action across the state to support Get Yourself Tested Month at “Condom Crawls” across the state. These fun events featured groups of volunteer activists in pink handing out goody bags filled with condoms and STD testing information at downtown bars and restaurants. These advocates spread the word that Planned Parenthood is here to help you stay safe and healthy no matter who you are or where you live. Check out photos from Condom Crawls that took place in New Brunswick, Princeton, Jersey City, Roselle, and Glassboro.
“Free testing and education around STDs is a reminder that regular screening for STDs is a normal and important part of basic health care,” said Triste Brooks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey. “We want to empower New Jersey communities to stop the spread of disease and to remove the stigma around STDs.”
“It’s so important for everyone to talk about STD testing,” said Roslyn Rogers Collins, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey. “If by offering free testing in April and May we can get more people talking and get more people tested, then we’re working in support of our mission to provide quality, affordable reproductive health care. No matter what.”
Outside of Free STD Testing Month, Planned Parenthood health centers offer free or low-cost tests and treatment. The sooner you know your status, the sooner you can get treated and increase your chances of avoiding serious health problems. STD testing should be part of your regular health care — this month and every month.
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Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) non-profit social welfare organization, and the advocacy arm of the Planned Parenthood Affiliates in New Jersey. We advocate for access to essential health care through education, activism, voter engagement, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy. For more information, visit our website at: www.ppactionnj.org.
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