Private MD News

Group launches new STD prevention program aimed at urban youths

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The number of positive STD tests among young urban and African American populations is much higher than in the general public. However, a new prevention campaign is targeting these individuals by trying to remake the image of practicing safe sex.

Students from Bowie State University recently teamed up with artist and entrepreneur Terence Greene to launch the Kenny Condom campaign, which uses a cartoon representation of a condom to help deliver facts about STDs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials from the group say the character has a unique "urban" look, with his sunglasses and chain.

The idea behind the initiative is to get urban youths to start thinking about sexual health through entertaining, engaging and non-threatening imagery. CDC figures show that African Americans account for 44 percent of all HIV infections, despite making up only about 14 percent of the U.S. population, the group states.

The CDC states that STD testing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infections. The new initiative could help enhance the number of people who seek screening.