Stop the Drama Downunder

1st June 2007 

A nation-wide advertising campaign encouraging gay men to become more savvy about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) will be launched in Queensland on 1^st June 2007.

Produced by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, the campaign has been designed to address rising rates of sexually transmitted infections among Australian gay men. There is particular concern that rising STI rates are partly driving new HIV diagnoses: having an STI can dramatically increase the potential for HIV to be transmitted during sex as sores and other irritations caused by STIs provide an effective gateway for the virus to pass from one body to the next.

The multi-media ‘Drama Downunder’ campaign encourages homosexually active men in Australia to take care of business Downunder, by improving their sexual health knowledge, and by getting regular sexual health checks.

The campaign materials feature a model (a photogenic volunteer from the Victorian AIDS Council) wearing only his underpants, which are in various states of distress. In some images they are on fire; in others they are smouldering; and in others they appear normal. This range of images represents the fact that, while many STIs are all too obvious—being extremely painful and/or irritating—others can have no symptoms at all. This makes regular sexual health checks vital for sexually active men.

During the 1980s, STIs such as syphilis and gonorrhoea had practically disappeared among gay men in Australia as a result of the changes in sexual practices effected by the arrival of HIV. This has arguably resulted in a generation of homosexually active men less familiar with the imperative for regular sexual health checks. However, the transmission rates of a range of STIs have been gradually increasing in homosexually active men since the mid 1990s, with more rapid increases since 2002. For example, diagnoses of syphilis have doubled in NSW and Victoria between 2001 and 2005; diagnoses of chlamydia have increased fourfold over the past ten years; and diagnoses of gonorrhoea have doubled over the same period (10th HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia Annual Surveillance Report, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research).

The Drama Downunder man will be seen on Adshels, in press ads, in web advertising on gay chat-sites and in a range of items containing sexual health information and referrals, including Z-cards, bookmarks, fridge magnets and postcards for distribution at gay events and clinics. All products will refer the reader to the campaign’s website, www.thedramadownunder.info where a comprehensive range of information about STIs, testing and treatment is available.

For more information, interviews or quotes please contact Paul Martin, QAHC General Manager on 0407 376 540