Syphilis Test Gets North Carolinians Walmart Or McDonald’s Gift Cards
Posted by: Annika Harris
Filed in:
news
11:50AM, Friday September 18th 2009
Rates of syphilis in Forsyth, NC have tripled in one year, so health officials there have come up with a novel idea to entice people to get tested. Folks who undergo testing are awarded with a $10 gift card to either Walmart or McDonald’s. Now, I know people need some kind of incentive to get tested, but can’t we think of a better idea than trading syphilis for diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol? The Walmart card could be beneficial, but I wonder how the corporation feels about being used to lure potential syphilis sufferers. At least the gift card provides a silver lining if a person tests positive. [F-Listed]
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bethlynn00
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 11:30 am: [report]
We use incentives all the time to get people to get tested for HIV, although we usually use cash. I’m sure the restaurant gift cards are also aimed at homeless or indigent people, who might be seeking a meal. Plus, honestly one visit to Mickey D’s isn’t going to cause diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease, these things don’t just happen from one meal, but I’m sure that the public health dept. is also marketing other health care screenings when people come in. Here in WI when you go to public health for an STI screening they always offer HIV testing, blood pressure checks, and physical exams and will refer you to free clinics and other physcians for more specialized care. They probably also are giving out condoms and other safer sex materials, maybe even referring people to NEX programs.
kristy1584
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 12:19 pm: [report]
I live in North Carolina and havent heard of this one. I get tested once a year anyway as part of my exam no incentive needed here!
impoddity
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 12:53 pm: [report]
Is this targeted towards a certain demographic in NC? I mean Walmart and Mickey D’s. That’s kind of fits a stereotype….
stephoney22
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 01:00 pm: [report]
I’m also from NC so this interests me. For the most part, if the ability to give something as an incentive exists, I think it’s a good way to influence people to go get tested. I usually steer clear of Wal-Mart but if I had a gift card, I’d want it to take advantage of it. While it sounds like a stereotype of people in that area, those are probably two of the very few companies that could afford to just give out free giftcards to hundreds of people. Thanks for posting this.
*sam*
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 01:04 pm: [report]
@impoddity: it’s not a stereotype so much as it’s reality. Have you ever been to NC? Unless you live in Raleigh or some other “big” city, there is NOTHING there. The most “high end” store in the town I live in is JC Penny. Our “mall” includes *maybe* 10 stores, and everyone in town is all super stoked that we got a Rue21. So yeah, they’re not playing into stereotypes, they’re just addressing the reality of rural life.
impoddity
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 01:08 pm: [report]
@*sam*: oh. :scratches NC off Cultural Travel list:
*sam*
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 01:13 pm: [report]
@impoddity: haha! no, you can keep it on there, just make sure you visit the nice parts like Ashville. It’s just that I live in the eastern part, so it’s very rural. Our CraigsList site consists of (at least) a quarter of the state because there isn’t a city large enough to include on it’s own.
Little Lamb
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 01:14 pm: [report]
Note to self-avoid Walmart and McDonald’s in North Carolina…a large number of patrons believe they have syphilis.
bethlynn00
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 02:17 pm: [report]
@LittleLamb, well unless you frequently have sex with people you met at Walmart and McDonald’s I don’t think you have to avoid them…of course if that is your fetish, no judgment.
Little Lamb
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 03:13 pm: [report]
The patrons are usually pretty nice eye candy, so I should probably stop trying to seduce all of them…or maybe I should stick to picking up those buying condoms.
Seriously though, it would be a little unnerving though to be an employee and have some skanky looking person come use a $10 gift card to pay for their Monistat.
wild-ting
wrote on September 18 2009 @ 04:24 pm: [report]
How about Target and Chick-Fil-A?
No matter. I get tested for everything once a year. It’s just the smart thing to do especially if you aren’t monogamous and/or are not completely 1000% sure that your partner who is supposed to be monogamous actually is. Make it a part of your annual health exam. If you don’t have medical insurance that covers this, go to a local health dept. where testing is sometimes free or close to it. Protect yourself and others.