Using social media

Sharing campaign content on your institution’s social media channels brings it to life at the local scale and reaches as many students as possible.

We’ll provide you with ready-to-use materials: visuals, copy (captions), recommended platforms, and more. All you have to do is hit publish!

That said, once the campaign is live, you may receive messages from students asking about testing, condom use, reactions, or requests for support.

That’s why it’s important to review community management best practices before going live.

We provide you with as much information as possible, but feel free to adapt it to your needs and resources!

Community management best practices

Use the campaign as an opportunity to connect with the student community

The campaign is the ideal opportunity for you to answer questions and provide personalized information to any student who reaches out with questions about screening or STBBIs.

However, since talking about sexuality on social media can be controversial, you may receive some reactions on your posts. Here are our community management best practices.

Monitor your social media accounts regularly

It’s important to answer all questions asked of you as much as possible. To do so, we recommend checking your social media accounts frequently when sharing campaign content. This is the key to avoiding any issues!

You don't need to spend hours on it.
The most important thing is to be consistent: 10–15 minutes a day, or every other day, is ideal to avoid leaving students without answers for too long.

Use approachable and inclusive language

Best practices recommend using inclusive language so that everyone feels seen. We also recommend never making assumptions about a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or genitalia.

Adapt your tone

Students have varying levels of knowledge about sexual health, so it’s important to use accessible and appropriate language (e.g., avoid using overly scientific terms). We also recommend an accessible and nonjudgmental tone.

Reply to private messages

Start by saying hello and including the person’s name (to personalise the interaction and ensure that they feel heard):

1. Use a positive, caring, open, and nonjudgmental tone. We want the person to feel welcome and that they have a safe space to open up.
2. Understand the person's stance (e.g., “We understand how you’re feeling, we hear what you’re saying, your point of view is important to us”).
3. Making mistakes happens to everyone! If you realize that you misunderstood what the person shared with you, or if you think you’ve given them incorrect or inappropriate information or advice, don't panic: You can apologize and ask them to clarify their request (e.g., “We just noticed that the screening times we listed are incorrect, our bad! Here are the updated times: …”).
4. Make recommendations tailored to the person's needs or requests.
5. Thank them for taking the time to write to you and encourage them to reach out if they have any further questions.
6. Use this as an opportunity to provide additional or relevant information based on the person's situation and redirect them to the Oh yesss website where appropriate.

Respond to public comments

Whenever possible, respond to all comments. Comments create a public exchange with students and spark discussion (the more comments there are, the more engagement you get, and the more visibility the content receives). Comments are also a space for collective learning—a secondary but effective way to share information.

It’s important to reply quickly to avoid escalations between users or appearing detached or uninterested in the situation. Again, no need to spend hours on it; what matters is consistency (checking in at least once a day if possible). If a comment describes a negative experience or touches on sensitive topics, take action and invite the person to send you a private message (e.g., “Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. Feel free to message us privately if you’d like to talk about it.”

Delete comments if you notice:

1. Incitement to violence and/or criminal acts against a person, group, or organization
2. Hate speech or messages encouraging hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religious beliefs, or minority status(some platforms let you set filters to automatically hide comments containing certain words)
3. Offensive language (consider creating an internal list of terms considered offensive to guide moderation)
4. Comments containing suspicious or dangerous links
5. Any content that harms an individual, damages their reputation, or targets a group or organization in a discriminatory way
6. Disclosure of personal information such as phone numbers, email addresses, or other sensitive data.

Announcing a screening event on social media

Here is a post that can be used to promote an STBBI screening day on your school campus.
We designed this post to be customizable,and allow you to update the necessary information, including:

1. Date
2. Time
3. Location

How to personalize the artwork

1. Download and open the file
2. Click on the bottom of the image and add your text (date, location, etc.) in the designated areas.
3. Save the post with your changes.
4. Publish on your institution’s social media channels!

Here’s the caption for you along with the date to publish. You’ll have everything read to go to make things easier!
“Oh yesss! 🎉 STBBI screening day is coming to campus! Visit us from… to… for a quick, confidential, and judgement-free screening. We’re ready for you at… to care for your sexual health!”

Reshare Oh yesss content

Because the Oh yesss campaign has its own Instagram and TikTok accounts, feel free to share content on your social media networks. It's a quick and easy way to get the word out about the campaign on your campus. Plus, you won’t have to create your own content from scratch!

Q&A Bank

Some students might reach out with questions or comments in social media posts or DMs. If their question is general and the answer could benefit everyone, reply directly in the comments.

If the question is about their private life, it's better to respond in a general way and recommend they contact the appropriate person at their school, such as a professional in sexual health services. Our goal isn’t to provide one-on-one support, but rather to share reliable, helpful, and reassuring information.

Your role is to inform, demystify, and reassure. Don't hesitate to acknowledge the fears that may be behind certain questions. STBBI testing can be a new experience—sometimes anxiety-provoking, and other times may even be tied to past experiences of victimization.

Below is a list of frequently asked questions about STBBI screening and condom use, along with their answers. You can get inspired from the answers provided while tailoring your content as needed.
Notes for speakers, in parentheses and italics, provide additional context for each question.

A comprehensive FAQ is available on Dépistapp. Don’t hesitate to refer to it as needed.

Questions and answers related to STBBI screening

Q : Should I get tested?

A: It's hard to say off the top of my head. It depends on several factors—like sexual your behaviour and history. You can fill out a short questionnaire to figure out your needs in terms of screening.

(Note to the facilitator: Students may share additional reasoning behind their questions, or even tell you more about their recent sexual experiences. Although testing is always recommended, avoid assessing their need for testing yourself. Instead, refer them to the questionnaire designed specifically for this purpose, developed in collaboration with sexual health professionals to provide an appropriate assessment)

Q: Does getting tested hurt?

A: That's a valid question, especially if this is your first time! In general, no, STBBI testing doesn’t hurt. Some samples, such as urine or secretions (throat, vagina, anus), may cause slight discomfort—but are not painful. Blood tests may sting a little, just like a usual blood test.
Generally, the process is quick and relatively painless. Most importantly, it’s a small step that can make a huge difference in your sexual health.

(Note to the facilitator: Lots of people might find STBBI screening intimidating or uncomfortable, especially if it’s their first time. Often, this question masks a need for reassurance and clarity: students want to understand what getting tested involves, and what they can realistically expect from the experience.)

Q : Do I have to tell my partners that I have an STBBI?

A: Even though disclosing that you have an STBBI can be scary, it’s important to tell your recent partners if tested positive for an STBBI in order to reduce the risk of transmission:
The person can then get tested to determine if they also need treatment.

1. It's much easier to prevent transmission— by abstaining from sex until the end of treatment or by using protection, like condoms or sexual dams—if everyone’s aware.
2. Even though it may seem difficult to talk about, you will feel much better afterwards.

(Note to the facilitator: If the person needs additional resources to help them disclose a positive STBBI result, share our article, Disclosing an STBBI Diagnosis: The Dos and Don’ts, with them. Try to take the time to understand their fears and barriers.

If direct disclosure puts them at risk or they simply don’t feel ready, refer them to anonymous resources, such as the partner notification service of the Portail VIH/sida du Québec (HIV Portal/Aids of Québec).

Note: In the case of HIV, there is a legal imperative to disclose one's HIV status before engaging in sexual activity when there is a “realistic possibility of transmission.” More information on this legal issue is available on the COCQ-SIDA website.)

Q : Do I need to get tested if I’m in an exclusive relationship?

A: Even if you have only ever been with one partner, who only has you as a partner, monogamy isn’t an effective method of protection against STBBI transmission. You and your partner may still be at risk for several reasons:

1. You stopped using protection before you both got tested.
2. If one of you has an STBBI, but neither of you show any symptoms, then it’s possible to spread an infection without knowing it, even after time has passed.
3. If there’s been infidelity in the relationship.
4. If you have been exposed to STBBIs in ways other than sexual intercourse, such as through tattooing or piercing with non-sterile needles or through injection or inhalation drug use.

(Note to the facilitator: The goal is not to scare couples in exclusive relationships, but rather remind them that testing is still important—even if you’re monogamous. Data shows that people often associate a low- or even zero-risk of STBBIs in monogamous relationships, but the reality is the risk is non-zero. You may need to support someone in a monogamous relationship in disclosing their status to their partner. You can consult our article “STBBI Screening in Monogamous Relationships: Is It Really Necessary?” and “Disclosing an STBBI Diagnosis: The Dos and Don’ts”).