Before most people used the term STDs, television PSAs warned viewers about VD, short for venereal disease. And one of the most unforgettable ones was the 1970s spot remembered as “VD is for Everybody.”
The message was serious: venereal disease could affect anyone, and people should not be embarrassed to get information or see a doctor. But what made the PSA so memorable was how oddly cheerful it was, with upbeat music and everyday people smiling along to a topic that was not exactly dinner-table conversation.
A lot of kids probably remembered the song before they had any idea what VD even meant. Looking back, it is one of those very 1970s public service announcements that was awkward, catchy, and impossible to forget.
