Upcoming STD Awareness Month Activities: Thunder*CLAP* and Virtual Hill Day for STD Prevention
Stephanie Arnold Pang
*Apologies for cross-posting and please share widely*
Every April, the National Coalition of STD Directors is proud to join its member health departments, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other partners to recognize April as National STD (sexually transmitted diseases) Awareness Month. To honor this month, we have organized two exciting activities we would like to share with you: a Thunder*CLAP* and Virtual Hill Day for STD Prevention. Please see below for more information!
1)
Join our Thunder*CLAP* for STD Awareness Month!
With the reality that last year, for the first time since 2006, rates for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis all increased concurrently (some by double digits!), we dedicate this month to renewing the fight against STDs and refocus our members, ourselves, and
our communities on sexual health and STD prevention.
Monitoring and controlling these STD epidemics are state, territorial, and local public health STD programs, which are the backbone of our national STD infrastructure. However, the current public health infrastructure has been continually strained by budget
reductions at the federal, state, and local levels and is cannot sufficiently prepare for the reality of rising rates of STDs, and other outbreaks.
To bring attention to these growing needs, join our Thunder*CLAP* to raise awareness about rising STD rates in the U.S., and how STD programs are critical to
prevention.What is Thunderclap (or Thunder*CLAP* for us!)? It's a platform that allows us to flood Twitter and Facebook with the same message all at the same time, like an online flash mob. Just click the link above and choose either "Support with
Twitter" or "Support with Facebook" - or both - and you're all set to show your support!
Our collective message will go out on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 12:00pm (EST) if at least 100 participants* commit to join our
Thunder*CLAP*. Please share this information with your partners! If you have any questions or concerns about the Thunder*CLAP* please contact Lucy Baglin,
lba...@ncsddc.org.
2) Virtual Hill Day for STD Prevention: April 26th
Battling back the potential cut to federal STD programs last year was a clarion call for all of us. This STD Awareness Month, we are heeding that call by creating an opportunity for you to safely educate policymakers on STD prevention without traveling to Washington, DC! On Tuesday, April 26th, NCSD members and partners are invited to participate in an online Virtual Hill Day for STD Prevention by sending one of two prepared letters to their federal policymakers to educate them on the importance of STD control programs today.
As NCSD is aware that a large number of its members -- public employees -- are only permitted to engage with policymakers through education efforts. We have therefore written a letter
that is strictly educational and highlights STD statistics and programmatic activities in which health departments are engaged.
We also know that we have a handful of members (and partners) who are permitted to do some level of advocacy (on personal time or with non-public funding). Therefore, we have written an advocacy
letter for those members to send either on non-public time or as private citizens on their personal time.
1.
Educational
letter: This letter is designed to educate policy makers on recent STD trends and the critical work of STD control programs. This letter has a customizable
section so members/ partners can personalize the letters with their STD data and program information. Due to size restrictions for acceptance by federal offices' email systems, however, we recommend keeping the body of this letter to 1600 characters (including
spaces!) or below. Again, this letter is strictly educational and can safely be sent on employee or personal time.
2. Advocacy letter: This letter is designed to educate policy makers on recent STD trends and the critical work of STD control programs, but also to encourage their support of DSTDP funding. This letter can be sent by private citizens on their personal time and from personal computers or by members or partners on non-public time.
How does it work?
NCSD has partnered with an online software company to allow for easy "one-click" sending of these letters from your computer to your specific elected officials. This site will go live on April 26th, and more information will be provided closer to the date.
If you have any questions, please contact NCSD's Director of Policy and Communications, Stephanie Arnold Pang. In addition, please click
here for all of NCSD's materials for members and partners for STD Awareness Month.
Stephanie S. Arnold Pang
Director of Policy and Communications
National Coalition of STD Directors
1029 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005
Direct: (202) 715-3865
Cell: (612) 220-2446
Follow us on Twitter! @NCSDdc
At the Wigwam Arizona