It should be common knowledge that being sexually active (including anal or oral sex) means you'll need to be tested for sexually transmitted infections. But for many reasons, a lot of people don't do it — or at least not nearly as often as they should.
That's why campaigns aimed to show how easy getting tested actually is are so important. But talking about peeing in a cup can be pretty boring, so some campaigns are getting creative.
Take, for example, the Australian LGBT Health organization ACON, which created a hilarious video featuring one of the country's most famous drag queens, Maxi Shield.
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Shield makes her way, step-by-step, through a doctor's visit during which she gets tested for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other STIs. She gives a urine sample, a rectal swab, a throat swab, and a blood sample.
The video is full of little nuggets of Maxi Shield's personal brand of sexual and potty humor — like when a health care provider sticks her finger for a blood test ("ooh, I wonder if he's tired of the little prick jokes") or when she's filling out the check-in form that asks how many sexual partners she's had in the last year ("I suppose I better count the taxi drivers...").
But between these funny if slightly inappropriate jokes is a video that tackles some of the biggest reasons people don't get tested for HIV and other STIs: fear and confusion.
Experts find that many people avoid getting tested even though they know they should because they're scared of getting a positive result or because they're unsure of what exactly goes into getting tested.
The American Sexual Health Association confirms that getting tested actually is as easy as the video claims — and in many cases it's actually easier. While Shield gave every possible kind of sample a clinic might need, it's likely that your doctor won't ask for all four, and it can often be done in your annual check up.
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