‘Bad Romance?’ Festival Billboard Promotes STD Testing

Visitors leaving Coachella Valley via I-10 Westbound will see AHF’s latest cheeky outdoor ad pointing to free, nonjudgmental testing service locations

INDIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting March 31^st, travelers driving westbound on I-10 leaving Indio, California will see a music festival-themed billboard from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) with the words, “Bad Romance?” and the URL freeSTDcheck.org, pointing to free, nonjudgmental sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing services. The billboard coincides with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that spans two weekends in April (4/11 - 4/13 and 4/18 -4/20). The artwork will be up through April 27, 2025.

In 2024, festival officials contacted AHF and demanded the nonprofit healthcare organization remove its “Catch More than Vibes?” billboard which featured the same URL. AHF refused.

“We hope there are no bad romances during this year’s festival weekends, and we hope everyone who chooses to partner up practices safer sex,” said Michael Weinstein, AHF president and cofounder. “But if anyone does need STD testing services, we want people to know ours are easily located, nonjudgmental, and free.”

AHF provides free STD testing and treatment at 44 Wellness Centers in 14 states nationwide, plus Washington, DC. Five of those Wellness Centers are in California.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “over 2.4 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were diagnosed and reported” in 2023. California ranks 21^st in reported cases of chlamydia, 17^th in reported cases of gonorrhea, 21^st in reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis, and 13^th in cases of congenital syphilis.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2.3 million individuals across 48 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. In January 2025, AHF received the MLK, Jr. Social Justice Award, The King Center’s highest recognition for an organization leading work in the social justice arena. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.