Sailor Moon’s had a fairly unusual career change, as of late. She’s gone from fighting the Witches 5 to fighting syphilis.
Earlier today, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare launched a new public awareness campaign. In particular, the Ministry aims to raise awareness of sexual transmitted diseases and infections, like syphilis and herpes, which are spreading among young women in the country.
The mascot for the campaign is none other than Sailor Moon. The Pretty Guardian herself will adorn 5,000 posters and 156,000 flyers, which will e distributed through 142 local governments and outfits that include:
- Japan Medical Association
- Japanese Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention
- Japanese Foundation for Sexual Health Medicine
Flyers will be given out at appropriate venues, including the Coming-of-Age ceremonies on January 15. The tagline reads “If you don’t get tested, I’ll punish you!”
Even more interesting, though, is that Sailor Moon, herself, will adorn over 60,000 condoms. Your read that right. Sailor Moon illustrations will adorn 60,000 condoms, which will be distributed in heart-shaped packaging.
Though the tone of the article is light, STDs aren’t something that should be taken lightly. In Japan, the annual reported cases of syphilis jumped from 621 in 2000, to 2,697 in 2015, which is about a 430% increase. Furthermore, over 3,000 cases of syphilis have been reported since the start of 2016.
The Japanese Ministry of Health partnered with Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi, whose work is popular with the 20-something female demographic, to hopefully increase prevention, early detection, and treatment of STDs.
Sources: Asahi Shimbun, IT Media
