What is GYT?? Find out now!

For the month of April, It’s Your (Sex) Life (IYSL), an ongoing pubic information partnership of MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation, to support young people in making responsible decisions about their sexual health, will join with Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners to support National STD Awareness Month.  From April 1-30, IYSL will focus its promotions on informing young people about STDs and normalizing testing.  Special incentives will be developed to encourage young people to visit PPFA and other participating clinics to get tested for STDs during April.  The month-long testing promotion will be presented and promoted as GYT09, Get Yourself Tested, a special initiative of IYSL. All on-air promotions will drive the audience to a campaign website – www.GYT09.com – and mobile / SMS initiative – GYT09, to learn more about STDs including how to participate in the campaign and where to get tested.

WHAT IS GYT?

GYT09 is a brand that seeks to create a youthful, empowering social movement that generates buzz. In a society that communicates through SMS language, creating an acronym to brand and promote the act of getting tested will create a sense of comfort, normalcy and pride among young people when it comes to getting tested. talking about STDs and testing in a way that they are comfortable communicating. STD Testing will become something young, sexually active people do as part of taking care of themselves. The goal of the campaign is make GYT09 the next household acronym among youth. OMG, BRB, LOL…introducing GYT. WTF is GYT09?

GYT09 works within a framework that recognizes a continuously high rate of HIV and STD infections among the target audience despite high levels of awareness about HIV/AIDS and other STDs. It will help MTV viewers to internalize the risk HIV/AIDS and other STDs present for them as individuals and their generation and provides an empowering, hopeful and action-oriented response to sexual health and STD Testing in particular. GYT09 ultimately normalizes and encourage open communication about sexual health and STDs among friends and partners (including testing, condom use etc.)The GYT09 brand will seek to remove the taboo and stigma surrounding STDs and STD testing, and get young people

THE FACTS:

STDs are very common.  One in two sexually active people will have an STD by age 25.

STDs often show no symptoms; the only way to know is to get tested.

Unless you ask to be tested cannot assume you have been.

Tests are quick, simple and painless.  Also confidential.

All STDs are treatable, and many curable.  Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to minimizing health risks, to yourself and others.

Many clinics offer free or low cost tests and treatment year-round