Santa Clara County high school students win “Viral” Video Contest promoting safer sexual behaviors
Students competed for cash prizes of up to $1,500 by creating original videos to educate their peers and reduce STI stigma.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department today announces the winners of the 2025 Viral Video Contest. High school students from across the county created original videos for social media to educate their peers about safer sex and the importance of preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Youth and young adults ages 15-24 represent half of new STI cases in the United States, making it critical for this group to know the risks of STIs and how to protect themselves from infection.
“Watching these students creatively tackle a topic that is hard for even adults to talk about is refreshing,” said Dr. Akanksha Vaidya, Assistant Public Health Officer and STI/HIV Controller for the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department. “Reducing stigma around STIs starts with an open dialogue, and this contest empowers young people to encourage their peers to prioritize their health and seek resources when needed.”
A panel of judges reviewed 51 submissions from 148 students across eight schools in the county – this marks the largest number of submissions since the contest began in 2014. The videos, created individually or by a group of students supervised by a teacher or coach serving as team sponsor, range from 30 to 90 seconds in duration and address healthy relationships, STI testing, and the stigma around STIs. Cash prizes were awarded to the first, second, and third-place winners: $1,500, $1,000, and $500 for the top three teams, plus $500 for each winning team's school.
2025 Viral Video Contest Winners
• First Place: Julie Le - Yerba Buena High School: https://youtu.be/TXC9l0FGqjU
• Second Place: Angelo Idanan, Aksol Corona, Saul Sanchez Barajas - Silicon Valley Career Technical Education: https://youtu.be/Uf11_hgDTno
• Third Place: Fiona Pham - Silicon Valley Career Technical Education: https://youtu.be/9DQKxFjdNak
“I joined the 2025 Viral Video Contest to spread awareness about STIs and make the topic more approachable, especially for young people. Winning feels awesome, and I am grateful to have made an impact,” said Julie Le from Yerba Buena High School.
"The 2025 Viral Video Contest was important because it uplifted youth voices in breaking down stigma around sexual health—especially in gender-inclusive and marginalized communities," said Aries Yumul, Coordinator of Student Empowerment and Awareness at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, who helped to judge the contest. "By supporting creative, sex-positive messaging, I hope to empower young people to embrace safer behaviors, open dialogue, and unapologetic pride in their health and identities."
“Bringing in as many different points of view is vital in a contest like this where the issue is so diverse,” said Alisha Ahuja, Youth and Young Advisory Board Member, Getting to Zero Initiative, age 18, who also helped to judge the contest. “Being able to judge and watch the videos allowed me to learn about the issue of public health further and understand various creative perspectives.”
Local Data
Following similar trends across California and the country, rates of common STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea are declining among most groups in Santa Clara County.
• Over the last decade, young adults ages 20-24 had the highest rate of chlamydia among all age groups in Santa Clara County. For individuals whose sex was determined as female at birth in this age group, the rate was more than five times the average rate for all females in the county.
• The rate of gonorrhea among people ages 15-19 in Santa Clara County is at its lowest level in close to a decade, and down 39% compared to the previous reported year.
• Despite a sharp decrease in new HIV diagnoses from 2019 to 2022 among individuals ages 13-24 years whose sex was determined as male at birth, the number of new HIV diagnoses within this group in Santa Clara County returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023.
Public Health’s STI and HIV Annual Report contains the most recent data for the County of Santa Clara.
Even if someone has a STI, it is common to have no symptoms at all. Making sexual health a part of routine health care is the best way to stay protected, and anyone can take control of their sexual health by following these steps:
• Get screened and tested at least once annually. Call your doctor’s office to schedule an appointment.
• Talk with your partner about their status, and make a plan to use protection.
• If you test positive or experience symptoms, see a doctor right away. No matter what the result is, STIs are preventable and treatable.
If you don’t have a doctor or health insurance, free or low-cost testing and treatment options and other sexual health services remain available through Public Health. Visit GetTestedSCC.org for more information.