Feel the Burn: A play on Bernie Sanders’ campaign slogan becomes ad promoting STD testing

With some sexually transmitted diseases on the rise locally and nationally, a local AIDS advocacy group is turning to a popular political phrase to get the message of safe sex out.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has new billboards across Los Angeles with the phrase "Feel the Burn?" a play on the Bernie Sanders campaign slogan "Feel the Bern."

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The billboards have some motorists doing double takes -- but that is the purpose.

“Senator Sanders’ powerful message resonates with a lot of Americans, particularly young people,” said Jason Farmer, senior director of creative at AIDS Healthcare Foundation in a statement. “We hope that our lighthearted—but highly important—billboard campaign for STD testing will as well.”

Last fall, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis increased for the first time since 2006. The volume of chlamydia cases last year was particularly high. Nationwide, there were about 1.4 million cases, which is the highest number of annual cases of any condition ever reported to the CDC.

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