MTV promotes HIV testing in youth

MTV is teaming up with the Kaiser Family Foundation and the musician Common to encourage young people to get regularly tested for HIV.

A contest beginning Thursday, February 14, on MTV's TRL program will search for lyrics to promote regular HIV/AIDS testing. The winning lyrics will be performed by the Common, a rap artist, for a public service announcement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend regular testing for adolescents 13 and older. One in four of the estimated one million people with HIV do not know they have the infection. This initiative aims to make testing a mark of "empowerment, not shame," according to a Kaiser Family Foundation spokesperson.

The contest is sponsored by It's Your (Sex) Life, a collaboration between Kaiser and MTV, as well as Common's charity the Common Ground Foundation.