Why we need to #TalkMoreTestMore
With our #TalkMoreTestMore campaign, we partner with influencers and activists to spread the word about regular testing.
If you are not in the habit of regularly getting tested for STIs, a host of reasons may hold you back. It may seem too much effort to arrange a test or fit it into a busy schedule. You may (wrongly) believe that if you do not have symptoms, you do not need to be tested. Or you may worry about a social stigma if you were to get a positive result — or even just from testing itself.
All these factors — and especially the last one — helped inspire our #TalkMoreTestMore campaign, which we’ve been running on social media during September and October. We’ve partnered with influencers, activists and creators to normalise the conversation around sexual health and promote regular STI testing as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Let’s be blunt: the stigma around STIs and STI testing is dangerous. A culture of silence means missed opportunities for education and prevention. But by talking openly, we can remove the shame.
With #TalkMoreTestMore, we want to empower people to take control of their sexual health, thereby helping to reduce STI transmission rates. Instagram influencers are central to the campaign — and not only those usually associated with discussions about sex.
“It’s important that we reach as many different people as possible,” says Emily Jackson, SH:24 social media and partnerships manager. “Collaborating not just with creators in the sexual health space, but also content creators who are prominent in other communities — whether fashion, beauty or wellness, for example — helps us bring this message to a wide variety of audiences.
“In the UK, a young person is diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhoea every 4 minutes. We want to encourage open discussions about sexual health as one step towards reducing rates of transmission.”
‘Sad and kind of crazy’
Instagram creators taking part are sharing Reels to highlight the issue, and show just how easy using an SH:24 at-home test is.
Accessing sexual healthcare can sometimes prove “dysphoria-inducing”, Dee Whitnell, a trans activist and Instagram creator tells their followers. “Your sexual health is your human right. The ability to take an STI test at home as a non-binary and trans individual is so freeing.”
Sam Morris, another influencer involved in the campaign, finds it “sad and kind of crazy” that many people are embarrassed into inaction when it comes to STI testing. He says he regularly uses SH:24’s home tests because "being sex positive also means being proactive about your sexual health".
This is the third year that we’ve run #TalkMoreTestMore and in 2024 it forms part of our 10-year anniversary celebrations. This milestone provides an opportunity to once more shine a light on key aspects of our mission as a proud not-for-profit.
#TalkMoreTestMore is in many ways a perfect fit for our wider goal of enhancing safe, user-centred and holistic sexual health care.
The unfortunate reality is that more than half of sexually active adults will contract an STI at some point in their lives. Diagnoses of new STIs in England increased by 4.7% from 2022 to 2023, according to government figures. Yet surveys indicate that most people in the UK have never taken an STI test.
And what of the belief that you only need to test if you have symptoms? It’s a dangerous myth. Most people with chlamydia, the most common STI, don’t notice any symptoms. You can also have gonorrhoea without any obvious symptoms. And if you do get symptoms, they can take weeks to appear.
Rather than being a reason to feel embarrassed, asking a sexual partner about STI testing should be seen as a sign that you’re looking after both your and their wellbeing.
“Having an STI is not dirty or shameful and nobody should be made to feel guilty if they have one,” says Helen Burkitt, our senior sexual health and contraception nurse. “The best way to avoid getting an STI is by using condoms, staying up to date with your testing, and talking to your partners about testing.”
Want to help smash the stigma around STIs? Join the conversation by using the hashtag #TalkMoreTestMore on social media to promote greater openness and encourage everyone to prioritise the sexual health of themselves and others.
Looking for something more?
Since 2014, SH:24 has been making it easier to manage your sexual health with our free, online services. All delivered in partnership with the NHS.
All our information and articles are written by the SH:24 team and reviewed by medical experts.
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