AHF’s latest outdoor ad urges MLB All-Star Game attendees to get tested as sexually transmitted disease rates soar in Texas and nationwide

Major League Baseball All-Star Game attendees will catch a bold reminder to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as they travel to Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX on Tuesday. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, has posted a billboard that reads “Be an All-Star” with the URL freeSTDcheck.org underneath over a background image of an outline map of Texas, parts of the state seal, and a profile of a swinging batter.

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In its latest high-profile prevention billboard posting, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, has posted a billboard on a highway in Texas near where the All-Star Game will be played Tuesday (7/16) that reads “Be an All-Star." The image has the URL freeSTDcheck.org underneath it over a background image of an outline map of Texas, parts of the state seal, and a profile of a swinging batter. (Graphic: Business Wire)

STD rates have been skyrocketing in Texas and across the country over the past several years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “… more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were reported in the United States” in 2022.

AHF’s “Be an All-Star” billboard is located off I-30 in Dallas, east of Highway 360 and is facing eastbound traffic so many fans will see it on their way to the game (Google maps: link). The ad went up earlier this week and will remain up at least through the end of July.

From 2020 to 2022, syphilis cases in Texas increased 22% from 21,476 to 25,991, according to numbers from statewide data available from Texas STD Surveillance Reports, double the number of cases in Texas just five years ago.

“We want everyone to go to bat for their own sexual health. That means wearing condoms, practicing safer sex, and getting tested regularly,” said Michael Weinstein, AHF president and cofounder. “We offer free, nonjudgmental STD testing, so making it easy for people to find their nearest location is a win-win.”

In addition to HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, AHF provides free STD testing and treatment at 41 Wellness Centers in 14 states nationwide, plus Washington, DC, including three in Texas.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2 million individuals across 47 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and subscribe to our AHFter Hours podcast.

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