Sexual health goes VIP at NSW festival

NSW Health will be testing festival-goers for chlamydia at Splendour in the Grass to help raise awareness of sexually transmitted infections.

An exclusive VIP tent with clean toilets and free phone charging could be all yours at a northern NSW festival - in exchange for a cup of urine.

NSW Health is setting up its Down to Test program at Splendour in the Grass at the weekend to encourage young people to test for chlamydia and to be more aware of their sexual health.

Those who get tested at the festival at North Byron Parklands will get access to a VIP area with a hygienically clean toilet, phone charging station and make-up bar.

About 2500 young people have provided urine samples since the program launched last year with 71 testing positive for chlamydia, NSW Health said in a statement on Friday.

"Music festivals present an opportunity to reach our target audience, raise awareness of STIs and reduce the stigma around testing. And results show this program is working," STI program unit boss Chris Bourne said.

Dr Bourne hopes to test a record 3000 revellers at the three-day festival.

The test, which is confidential, takes less than five minutes and results are returned with a few days via text or phone call.


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Source: AAP


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