This body-positive, fabulously queer music video has a critical message behind it.

Robbie Couch
08.01.18

There's a new super queer, bright, and merry music video you won't be able to watch without smiling and singing along.

GIF via Howard Brown Health/YouTube.

It happens to be all about preventing HIV, too.

The song, brought to you by the team at Chicago's Howard Brown Health, is aptly called "Let's Talk About PrEP."

Based off Salt-N-Pepa's original bop, "Let's Talk About Sex," Howard Brown's version aims to inform viewers about the benefits of accessing PrEP (or Pre-exposure prophylaxis) — a medication that, if taken daily, drastically reduces the chance of HIV transmission.

GIF via Howard Brown Health/YouTube.

Who knew a song about sexual health could be so damn delightful?

Watch "Let's Talk About PrEP," starring rapper KC Ortiz (story continues below):

"We need to talk about PrEP and HIV in our community," Ortiz says in a statement given to Upworthy.

"When we talk to our partners and our loved ones about sexual health, we are eliminating stigma," says Ortiz, who is transgender.

First approved by the FDA in 2012, PrEP has become a critical component in combating the spread of HIV. Many health providers and LGBTQ advocacy groups have made growing awareness and expanding PrEP access a priority throughout the past six years. Howard Brown, for instance, is one of the nation's leading prescribers of the medication, accounting for roughly 10% of all PrEP prescriptions in the U.S., according to CEO David Munar.

GIF via Howard Brown Health/YouTube.

Some obstacles stand in the way, though.

Truvada, the drug's brand name, has surged in price since 2012, alarming health officials who are aiming to get the medication into more hands.

"We have the most effective tool for ending the HIV epidemic, and one reason we're unable to scale up is because it costs so [much] unnecessarily," James Krellenstein of advocacy group ACT UP New York told NPR in June.

While PrEP remains free or at low-cost for many, a larger share of the price tag continues being shifted onto patients' shoulders, making the medication inaccessible for those most at-risk of HIV infection — namely, low-income people of color in the LGBTQ community.

Still, we have the opportunity to end HIV/AIDS once and for all.

"We are on the precipice of an HIV-free generation," says Erik Roldan, director of communications for Howard Brown. "And PrEP is one of the tools we need to get us there."

We need to talk about PrEP (baby), and continue getting it into the hands of those who need it most.

Want to learn more about PrEP? Get info on how it works and where you can access the medication in your area at the CDC website.

lgbtq sex hiv medicine prep truvada kc ortiz howard brown health pre-exposure prophylaxis affordable medicine medicine costs
Family

Oprah's social experiment on audience members puts racism in a new light

On an old episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in July 1992, Oprah put her audience through a social experiment that puts racism in a new light. Despite being nearly two decades old, it's as relevant today as ever.

She split the audience members into two groups based on their eye color. Those with brown eyes were given preferential treatment by getting to cut the line and given refreshments while they waited to be seated. Those with blue eyes were made to put on a green collar and wait in a crowd for two hours.

Staff were instructed to be extra polite to brown-eyed people and to discriminate against blue-eyed people. Her guest for that day's show was diversity expert Jane Elliott, who helped set up the experiment and played along, explaining that brown-eyed people were smarter than blue-eyed people.

Watch the video to see how this experiment plays out.

Oprah's Social Experiment on Her Audience www.youtube.com

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Culture

Cadbury removed the words from its wrappers to bring attention to a seldom-discussed issue

The candy giant said it "donated" the words.

via Cadbury

Cadbury has removed the words from its Dairy Milk chocolate bars in the U.K. to draw attention to a serious issue, senior loneliness.

On September 4, Cadbury released the limited-edition candy bars in supermarkets and for every one sold, the candy giant will donate 30p (37 cents) to Age UK, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for the elderly.

Cadbury was prompted to help the organization after it was revealed that 225,000 elderly people in the UK often go an entire week without speaking to another person.

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Well Being
Walgreens
Walgreens

Teachers seek outside support to tackle today’s challenges in the classroom

Young people today are facing what seems to be greater exposure to complex issues like mental health, bullying, and youth violence. As a result, teachers are required to be well-versed in far more than school curriculum to ensure students are prepared to face the world inside and outside of the classroom. Acting as more than teachers, but also mentors, counselors, and cheerleaders, they must be equipped with practical and relevant resources to help their students navigate some of the more complicated social issues – though access to such tools isn't always guaranteed.

Take Dr. Jackie Sanderlin, for example, who's worked in the education system for over 25 years, and as a teacher for seven. Entering the profession, she didn't anticipate how much influence a student's home life could affect her classroom, including "students who lived in foster homes" and "lacked parental support."

Dr. Jackie Sanderlin, who's worked in the education system for over 25 years.

Valerie Anglemyer, a middle school teacher with more than 13 years of experience, says it can be difficult to create engaging course work that's applicable to the challenges students face. "I think that sometimes, teachers don't know where to begin. Teachers are always looking for ways to make learning in their classrooms more relevant."

So what resources do teachers turn to in an increasingly fractured world? "Joining a professional learning network that supports and challenges thinking is one of the most impactful things that a teacher can do to support their own learning," Anglemyer says.

Valerie Anglemyer, a middle school teacher with more than 13 years of experience.

A new program for teachers that offers this network along with other resources is the WE Teachers Program, an initiative developed by Walgreens in partnership with ME to WE and Mental Health America. WE Teachers provides tools and resources, at no cost to teachers, looking for guidance around the social issues related to poverty, youth violence, mental health, bullying, and diversity and inclusion. Through online modules and trainings as well as a digital community, these resources help them address the critical issues their students face.

Jessica Mauritzen, a high school Spanish teacher, credits a network of support for providing her with new opportunities to enrich the learning experience for her students. "This past year was a year of awakening for me and through support… I realized that I was able to teach in a way that built up our community, our school, and our students, and supported them to become young leaders," she says.

With the new WE Teachers program, teachers can learn to identify the tough issues affecting their students, secure the tools needed to address them in a supportive manner, and help students become more socially-conscious, compassionate, and engaged citizens.

It's a potentially life-saving experience for students, and in turn, "a great gift for teachers," says Dr. Sanderlin.

"I wish I had the WE Teachers program when I was a teacher because it provides the online training and resources teachers need to begin to grapple with these critical social issues that plague our students every day," she adds.

In addition to the WE Teachers curriculum, the program features a WE Teachers Award to honor educators who go above and beyond in their classrooms. At least 500 teachers will be recognized and each will receive a $500 Walgreens gift card, which is the average amount teachers spend out-of-pocket on supplies annually. Teachers can be nominated or apply themselves. To learn more about the awards and how to nominate an amazing teacher, or sign up for access to the teacher resources available through WE Teachers, visit walgreens.com/metowe.

WE Teachers
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Walgreens

Fed up news anchor has the best response to a man who told her to dress ‘like a normal woman’

Women shouldn't have to dress for the male gaze.

via KGW-TV / YouTube

One of the major differences between women and men is that women are often judged based on their looks rather than their character or abilities.

"Men as well as women tend to establish the worth of individual women primarily by the way their body looks, research shows. We do not do this when we evaluate men," Naomi Ellemers Ph.D. wrote in Psychology Today.

Dr. Ellers believes that this tendency to judge a woman solely on her looks causes them to be seen as an object rather than a person.

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Culture