The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is bringing its burlesque-inspired stage production “Ohh Mamma!” to Columbus, Ohio, as part of a U.S. tour aimed at raising awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV prevention, amid rising infection rates and renewed calls for public health action.
The show, which headlines Kylie Sonique Love, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, will be staged for one night only on Feb. 28 at the Palace Theatre. The performance marks the final stop in a limited four-week tour that has already visited New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
AHF said the production is designed to combine entertainment with education, using live performance to encourage safer sex practices. The event coincides with International Condom Day, an awareness initiative the organization established in 2009 to promote condom use as a means of preventing STIs, including HIV.
The Columbus performance comes at a time when public health officials are reporting troubling trends. According to the Ohio Department of Health, congenital syphilis rates have risen in the city alongside increases in other infections. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood reports that nationally, syphilis cases have climbed sharply in recent years, concluding that STIs “must be a public health priority.”
AHF’s touring show is part of its broader outreach strategy, which relies on creative programming to reach audiences who might not otherwise engage with traditional public health messaging.
Since launching the concept in 2022, the organization has staged the free production for sold-out crowds across the United States. The 2026 edition opened earlier this month in New York and included stops at Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C., and the Harris Theater in Chicago before concluding in Columbus.
The show draws inspiration from the popular musical “Mamma Mia!” but reimagines it as a burlesque-style dance extravaganza featuring prominent performers. In addition to Love, the cast includes several former dancers for Prince — Sharon “Pussy Control” Ferguson, Lindsley “Darling Nikki” Allen, and Sebastian LeCause — along with Danté Henderson-Hanson and Marlon Pelayo.
AHF said the performances have been met with strong audience response, often filling venues to capacity and receiving standing ovations.
The production is free to attend, with seating offered on a first-come, first-served basis. AHF said this approach is intended to remove financial barriers and ensure the message reaches as many people as possible.
Public health advocates have increasingly emphasized the importance of innovative outreach methods, particularly as STI rates have risen across North America. While HIV prevention efforts have expanded significantly over the past decade, health organizations say education and awareness remain critical tools in reducing transmission.
AHF, one of the largest global organizations focused on HIV/AIDS care and prevention, operates in dozens of countries and provides services ranging from medical treatment to community education.
By combining high-profile performers with a public health message, the group hopes its touring production can spark conversations and encourage behavioural change.
The Columbus show represents the culmination of this year’s tour and serves as a reminder, AHF says, of the continued importance of prevention efforts.
With infection rates climbing and public health agencies urging renewed vigilance, the organization is positioning its entertainment-driven approach as one way to reach new audiences and reinforce a long-standing message: safer sex practices remain essential to controlling the spread of STIs and HIV.