A hospital trust is launching a cheeky but thought-provoking Valentine’s Day campaign in a bid to encourage more people to come forward for sexual health testing and contraceptives.
As part of the campaign, from Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, buses around Sandwell will be carrying a poster with the strapline, “Got something you didn’t expect this Valentine’s Day?” – complete with a chap peeking worriedly into his underpants.
Despite the tongue-in-cheek nature of the poster, the campaign has a serious message, urging people who have had unprotected sex to come forward for free and confidential sexual health information, testing and treatment and contraception.
The bus posters will be followed up by beermats and washroom posters in local pubs, as well as flyers and posters in youth clubs, colleges and schools.
Alexandra Young, Senior Sexual Health Nurse at Sandwell’s Dartmouth Clinic, said: “Unfortunately, many people who have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) don’t notice symptoms, or people with some infections such as chlamydia may have no symptoms at all. They not only run the risk of the infection worsening but if they are not using condoms, of spreading it to someone else.
“If people have had unprotected sex and think that they may have an STI, even if they haven’t had any symptoms, I would urge them to get themselves checked out at Dartmouth Clinic at Sandwell Hospital in West Bromwich for testing and treatment if necessary. They can also pick up advice and free condoms.”
For more information on sexual health services in Sandwell, go to https://www.swbh.nhs.uk/services/sexual-health-and-contraception or for more information about STIs and contraception, go to https://swbhengage.com/health-advice/sexual-health.
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