In an effort to educate sexually active young adults, The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) kicked off a multi-city Know your Status Tour in Tallahassee, Florida on the campus of Florida A&M University. The AHF Youth Task Force teamed up with social media and pop culture influencers Nina Parker, Karen Civil, Don Benjamin, Amber Rose, Sibley, Cordell Broadus, and Jacquees. The goal was to have open dialogue while educating students of the importance of safer sex and taking the proper precautions to avoid STDs.
Each year, over 10 million young adults in the United States contract an STD. The most commonly reported STDs are Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. The tour features celebrity panel discussions, breakout discussions, specialized school activities, social media pledges and musical performances by influential artists including Epic Records hip-hop artist Kent Jones of DJ Khaled‘s We the Best Music Group.
The goal is for students to get STD and HIV testing. There are incentives for student participation: custom t-shirts, as well as additional prizes including: 1) $5,000 student scholarship, 2) Pimp My Dorm Room for participating schools, and 3) tablet giveaway for each campus.
Chris Grace, the mastermind of AHF’s KYST wants the students to be comfortable talking about sex.
“Each year, 12 million young people contract an STI and there is an undeniable urgency to target safer sex messages that are interactive, engaging, and relevant to their lives and experiences. With the Know Your Status Tour, we are doing our part to educate our youth on the importance of being tested regularly for STIs and help them form good sexual health habits that they can take with them long into adulthood,” Grace explains.
The KYST is slated to reach even more college students across the nation as they make their way across southern states. It will reach Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta on April 20 and Texas Southern University, Houston on April 26.
Below is a list of celebrity panelist sfor upcoming tour dates:
4/20/17: Atlanta – CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
Karen Civil – Moderator
Kent Jones – Artist
Cordell Broadus – Panelist
Nina Parker – Panelist
Don Benjamin – Panelist
Sibley – Panelist
Amber Rose – Panelist
4/26/17: Houston – TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
Karen Civil – Moderator
Kent Jones – Artist
Cordell Broadus – Panelist
Nina Parker – Panelist
Don Benjamin – Panelist
Amber Rose – Panelist
