Gay Aboriginal model Casey Conway stars in new STI-testing campaign
By Sam Eacott
Model and former rugby league player Casey Conway has been revealed as the face of a new campaign from Victorian AIDS Council (VAC), Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council (NTAHC). Aiming to increase sexual health testing in the Northern Territory amid rising rates of HIV and other STI’s in the area, the campaign uses the change of seasons from wet to dry as a reminder to get regularly tested and to stay healthy.
“An increase in HIV infections and the high rates of STIs demonstrate a serious issue about equal access to health and education in the Northern Territory,” said NTAHC Executive Director Kim Gates.
“Aboriginal people, particularly those living in remote and very remote communities, often have little or no understanding of the importance of maintaining their sexual health. Health clinics are under-resourced and over-burdened by conflicting and competing health needs, which often results in sexual health taking a back seat.”
Adapted from VAC’s award-winning ‘Drama Downunder’ campaign, this new approach aims to remove the stigma from sexual health by taking a light-hearted approach to testing. Casey Conway, an openly gay man and former rugby league player, appears in his underwear along with the message: “Wet or dry—any season, sexy health is deadly! Get tested, get treated no drama!”
“We have to do something about STIs in the Northern Territory, and among Aboriginal people in particular,”
said Conway.
“I really hope the campaign will get people testing every three-to-six months—once in the wet and once in the dry. As the campaign says, get tested, get treated, no drama.”
In 2015 VAC developed a ‘Seasons’ version of their long-running campaign, which encouraged people to use the changing seasons as a prompt to get a sexual health check. Posters and advertisements featuring summer, autumn, winter and spring encourage testing four times a year.
For more information on the ‘Drama Downunder’ campaign visit www.thedramadownunder.info