The Ministry of Health and Social Development has launched the “Wrap it Up” campaign to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and promote social responsibility during the festival season.
This initiative focuses on educating the public about the consequences of high-risk sexual behaviours and encouraging safer practices.
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronald Georges, emphasized that the campaign is an expansion of last year’s efforts to capture the public’s attention regarding STI prevention.
“STIs are here, people get infected, they are potentially very serious, but the key thing to note is that they are preventable and treatable,” Dr. Georges stated. Despite these facts, he insists that the best treatment for STIs is prevention, urging the community to “Wrap it Up Before you Wuk it Up.”
The campaign targets a broad segment of the community, with a particular focus on younger individuals. “We have to speak to our audience in a meaningful way. Those messages are speaking directly to our younger demographic and to an audience we think is especially at risk,” Dr. Georges explained. The campaign features assertive graphics designed to resonate with the youth and raise awareness about the importance of safe sexual practices.
For other sectors of the population, the campaign includes various forms of messaging and forums such as audio and video interviews, radio commercials, newsletters, and press releases. These communication materials will cover a wide range of issues, including drinking and driving, mixing medicines with alcohol, age of consent, issues around consent, and reducing high-risk sexual behaviours.
In addition to the educational aspects, the campaign has partnered with local laboratories to offer promotions on STI testing. Dr. Georges encouraged the community to take advantage of these promotions to know their sexual health status.
“The labs will be doing their independent advertising surrounding their promotions, but we do want persons to take advantage of the opportunity and get testing so that they can know the status of their sexual health,” he advised.