Sexual health startups are rebranding safe sex for Gen Z. The new brands’ approach leans into pleasure-focused messaging over the stigma heavy fear-mongering Millennials grew up with—and research shows Gen Z responds better to this positive framing. Testie, officially launching this February, offers discreet at-home STI testing after founder Thea Wayne heard from her Gen Z podcast listeners that doctor visits were often triggering and judgmental. Condom brand Sense markets protection as “fun and collectible,” complete with a quiz to find their perfect match. It’s working in some big ways: HIV infections among 13-24-year-olds dropped 27% between 2018 and 2022. But condom use is still declining, and nearly half of new STI cases are among Gen Z. (Bustle)
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