You all know Ross Mathews as the intern on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno or from the round table on Chelsea Lately, but what you might not know about this bright and bubbly personality is that he has a heart of gold. Ross has decided to partner with OraQuick, the at-home HIV testing system, to promote the “Life As We Know It” campaign to promote status awareness. I got the chance to catch him running in between meetings (Ross is a busy girl!) and we got to talk about the system and why he decided to partner with them.
Ross! Hello, darling! How are you?
I’m doing phenomenal! It was my birthday this week, and my talk show just got approved for more episodes until the end of the year. I’m very excited!
That’s awesome! Congratulations! So, for those of us who don’t know who Ross Mathews is, would you please introduce yourself?
Well, absolutely! I am the ultimate superfan of pop culture who won the lottery and got his own talk show. I am just working hard to make this dream life come true. That’s who I am right now! (Laughs)
So, you said you have a new show out right now called Hello Ross. Can you tell us what to expect?
Well, it’s so fun and we’re on our fourth episode right now, and the whole show is all about loving pop culture and loving it and obsessing over it. I think there are so many shows that tear pop culture down but on Hello Ross, it’s all about pop culture people coming together! I love this stuff, you love this stuff, so let’s get together and talk about it! It’s really so fun!
I know that you have just partnered with OraQuick and their 20-minute at-home HIV testing system. Can you tell us more about the “Life As We Know It” campaign and why you decided to partner with OraQuick?
This is so important. I don’t take this platform that I have lightly. I know I talk to millions of people every week, but I know that I have a special connection to the LGBT community. And you know when you look at the cases of HIV in the country, 63% of the new cases of HIV are gay men. And I don’t get that! I don’t get it cause I know knowledge is available, I know that there are bowls of condoms at bars, and the awareness level should be higher in the community but the rates are still going up!
I partnered with this company, OraQuick, because the technology they have created makes it easier than ever before to know your status. There are no needles involved, you don’t have to go to a doctor, you can do this in the privacy of your own home. It’s a quick swab of your mouth and twenty minutes, twenty minutes later, you know your status. And if you know your status, there is so much power in that. If you’re negative, you know. You can continue to have safe sex, be good. Have fun, but be responsible. If you’re positive, there is a 1-800 number that you can call and they will hook you up with a medical professional right that very moment and then you know. But knowing your status is so important.
Some people may look at the medicines that are being developed to combat HIV/AIDS, and think of that a reason to not protect themselves. What would you say to those people?
Well, I’ve heard that. You always hear that. But I’ll tell you this. If you’re having sex, protected or not, you should know your status. I understand why people would be scared, I get it. The waiting, it takes a lot out of you. It’s torturous! When my partner and I got together 5 years ago, we were both tested and we both came out negative. And the waiting was so scary! I remember the first time I got tested, even though I was a good boy and was convinced that I didn’t really have much to worry about, the wait was a week, between testing and results. And I never want to have to do that again!
But we don’t have to do that now! Twenty minutes, no needles, no blood, no doctors’ offices. Just twenty minutes and you’ll know your status with OraQuick! It’s available at every pharmacy or you can order it online at www.oraquick.com. This is how we do it in this day and age. There’s no reason to not know your status.
What makes this campaign different than every other campaign promoting getting tested?
What makes this campaign different? It’s not asking too much of people; that’s what. I’m just saying, and OraQuick is just saying, just give us twenty minutes and you’ll know your status. And you’ll go from there. All these people who are engaging in any sort of unprotected sex, and don’t know their status, they’re really putting other people in jeopardy. You just HAVE to know. And that’s the difference, is that it’s only twenty minutes.
Where can people catch you? Plug whatever you want!
My bestselling book Man Up is available now! My show is on Fridays on E! right after Fashion Police. I encourage people to interact with me on Twitter using the handle @HelloRoss, the same name as the show. The stories we talk about on air are the stories we talk about with our fans on social media. It’s really a show that doesn’t exist without the fans so I encourage to join in on the conversation!
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You can find Ross Mathews on Facebook at facebook.com/SeriouslyRoss or on Twitter at @HelloRoss. And find more information on OraQuick, and the “Life As We Know It” campaign at OraQuick.com!