‘Wyoming Has Gonorrhea’ Billboards Drawing National Attention

KnowWYO, a Wyoming Department of Health program, launched their latest billboard campaign this month, and their controversial message is now getting national attention.

The billboards, which will be up through December in Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Laramie, Rawlins and Riverton, read "Wyoming Has Gonorrhea. Do You?"

The shocking message is intended to raise awareness for STD prevention, and it's working. According to Molly Adami from the Wyoming Department of Health, the campaign was designed to make a bold statement.

"We haven't had any angry responses yet. Obviously, some people are shocked, but it's getting attention for an important cause, which is what it was designed to do," said Adami.

The campaign comes on the heels of a recent gonorrhea outbreak in Wyoming. Department of Health officials say the number of cases has more than doubled in the past year.

In addition to offering HIV/STD testing, the KnowWyo website has also posted statistics which show the number of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases in all 23 Wyoming counties.