Text Me! Flash Me! Helpline - Ghana

This project uses cell phone technology to provide most-at-risk populations (MARP) with friendly and accessible HIV and AIDS information, referrals, and counseling services from qualified providers. The Helpline was launched in September 2008 through a pilot focusing on men who have sex with men (MSM) exclusively, and then was expanded in February 2009 to include female sex workers (FSW).

Text Me! relies on a database of cell phone numbers collected by peer educators and social networks. Outgoing SMS texts are sent with educational and promotional messages, either through a "phased communication" strategy or in response to trends noticed through ongoing quality assurance and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Automatic SMS text responses are sent to clients' SMS text inquiries that refer clients who text "HELP" to live Helpline counselors, who call back within 24 hours.

The Flash Me! component of the project refers to the fact that, in order to encourage clients to call and use a Helpline, it is important that the call is free to the client. However, in Ghana, there is currently no way to procure a phone number that will be free for all callers from all networks. The solution was that potential clients may "flash" the cell phone number of a Helpline counselor on duty, who returns the client's call within 24 hours. Helpline counselors' cell phone numbers and duty hours are disseminated both through social networks, discrete fliers, and by peer educators.

2009 evaluation results:

• The number of callers disclosing their sexual orientation to a Helpline counselor increased each month. In addition:
  - 86.9% of survey respondents said that after their Helpline call session they shared the information they received with others;
  - 40% of respondents forwarded the texts they received to others, and sent to an average of 8.6 other people;
  - Respondents who forwarded texts said their reason for doing so was either to educate others, or because they wanted them to have the same information;
  - Only 13.1% of clients said they did not share the information with anyone.
• The evaluation findings revealed that the Helpline increased clients' knowledge of and intention to use condoms and lubricants.
• Of the survey respondents who were referred for services by a Helpline counselor; 47% reported that they followed up and went for these services; 77% said they intended to go for counseling and testing (CT) services; 23% said they did not intend to, mainly because they said were "already aware of my HIV status" or had "already taken the HIV test". The sum total of CT service uptake in Oct. 2008 was higher than the uptake numbers in the previous 5 months combined at the MSM drop-in center at one of the project's local NGO implementing partners: 69 clients from May to Sep. 2008, as compared to 76 clients in Oct. 2008.
• CT uptake following referrals increased after the launch of the Helpline:
  - 16% effective referrals over the period of Apr.-Aug. 2008;
  - 39% effective referrals over the period of Sep. 2008-Jan. 2009.
  - Prior to the Helpline, only 1% of MSM referred to the MSM drop-in centre at one of the project's local NGO implementing partners for sexually transmitted infection (STI) services actually went and received STI services. Following the launch of the Helpline Pilot, that number increased to 11%.

Intercultural Radio Educativa Project - Peru

This project included a thrice-weekly intercultural educative radio programme and on-the-ground community resource people. These elements were strategically leveraged with a year-round school-based initiative, involving teachers, students, and community members to prevent and reduce domestic violence and HIV/AIDS, empower victims of violence (mostly children and women), and reduce prejudice, stigma, and discrimination associated with being HIV-positive. In addition, several students in each participating rural school were trained as radio correspondents and on the topics of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS, and after these trainings, were in charge of encouraging youth in their respective communities to listen to Bienvenida Salud and then provide feedback, including proposing new subjects for inclusion and treatment on the radio programme.

2008 evaluation showed:

From January 2006 to March 2008, the staff of Bienvenida Salud received a total of 4,860 letters. Of these, 21% of the letters (N=1003) made a direct and explicit reference to issues of violence in the community or domestic sphere, or raised questions or concerns on HIV/AIDS.

Adult women, the primary intended audience of Bienvenida Salud, wrote most of the letters (45%) to the radio programme. Many of the adult women listeners wrote in to share that they have either abused their children or been abused by their partners. Adult men and youth (both male and female) are increasing as an audience segment of Bienvenida Salud and also increasingly writing in to the programme. This finding, evaluators assert, suggests increased involvement of men in the welfare of their families and their partners. The analysis of senders for the same time period shows that 46% were youth radio correspondents: "In focus group interviews, correspondents voiced a sense of 'pride' in that their school and Minga trusted them to receive the training. They take seriously their role in writing letters to Minga informing of cases of violence in their communities, as also their responsibility to search for alternative and local solutions to problems of domestic or community violence."

"In general terms, students emphasized that they now talk about these issues with their friends and family members, especially about domestic violence."

"...[P]rimary and secondary data clearly shows that students have learned about their rights as individuals, about different forms of violence, and about taking preventive measures for not contracting HIV/AIDS."

"Prior to the implementation of the school-based program, students noted that they had several misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. Many thought that it was 'a small animal' that could be transmitted by touching someone. HIV also attributed as being synonymous with having sex with homosexuals or prostitutes. Although some misconceptions still persist, the secondary school students show mindfulness in acknowledging that the person they have sex with may have multiple partners."

"A great majority of the students said that they are 'better informed and less afraid': that after talking to their teachers and listening to Bienvenida Salud, they now know how to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections."

"Many teachers acknowledged their own biases, misconceptions, about HIV/AIDS and family violence, and how they now know what they should have known all along. For instance, a teacher in Nauta noted: 'Before, I thought that when somebody was infected with HIV and they did not eat all of their food that another person could get infected through the food, or when somebody kissed an infected person they would become infected. Now I know I was wrong.'"

"In our discussions with students, while acknowledging the difficulties in broaching these topics with their girlfriends or boyfriends, they expressed a desire for change, including delaying of sexual relations, limiting sexual partners, and using condoms in sexual encounters."

Soul City Institute Regional Programme - Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

• 8 southern African countries
• The adaptation of local communication materials with a large-scale capacity building programme
• Local partners in each country
• The 8 countries produced a total of 20 titles in the 5-year period from 2002 to 2007
• 20 million copies of these were distributed in the region
• 11 radio drama series and 14 television documentaries/talk shows

2008 evaluation results:

• Clear shift in HIV testing in all countries from 2002 to 2007
• Exposure to Soul City partner interventions associated with testing in all settings
• 15% of the exposed people show positive behavioural change
• Among more educated women in Zambia, 18% of those who had no exposure to Kwatu used condoms with their non-regular partner, compared with 40% of those who had high access to Kwatu.
• In Namibia, 80% of men with low education and high exposure to Desert Soul consistently used condoms with their regular partner, while only 20% of those with no exposure did. 

Valvula de Escape [Escape Valve] - Mexico

This was a radio call-in show produced and aired in 2007 by Population Media Center (PMC) in collaboration with CORA (Centro de Orientación para Adolescentes) that provided an outlet for teens to discuss issues relating to sexual/reproductive health directly with health professionals and other teens. It was aired every Thursday on Radio Mexiquense from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

2007 evaluation results:

• Listeners had significantly higher knowledge than non-listeners of various birth control methods including birth control pills (74% vs. 60%), female condoms (44% vs. 27%), and injections (28% vs. 11%).
• Significantly more listeners (93%) compared to non-listeners (72%) correctly indicated that, without an HIV test "a person can't tell when another person has HIV." Listeners were significantly more likely than non-listeners to know how HIV can be transmitted.
  -Having sex without a condom: listeners (77%) vs. non-listeners (57%).
  -From sharing needles: listeners (58%) vs. non-listeners (24%).
  -Through blood transfusions: listeners (63%) vs. non-listeners (32%).
• Listeners (59%) were significantly more likely than non-listeners (26%) to know that a blood test will not detect HIV infection one week after exposure to the virus.

Straight Talk Campaign - Uganda

Mass media communication campaign to bring sexual and reproductive health information to young people.

• Radio programmes meant for in- and out-of-school youth, which are broadcast to various districts in English and 11 other Ugandan languages
• Newspapers in English and 6 other Ugandan languages, primarily geared toward secondary school students
• English-language newspaper designed for primary school students
• Various school-based activities
• Community activities such as health fairs

2007 evaluation results:

• Exposure to STF activities was associated with getting tested for HIV. Female adolescents were three-and-a-half times more likely to have been tested than those not exposed, and male adolescents were nearly 4 times more likely to have been tested.
• Female adolescents exposed to STF materials were 4 times more likely to abstain from sex if they had a boyfriend, compared to their unexposed counterparts. Males exposed to the materials were less than half as likely to engage in sexual activity and 3 times more likely to resume abstinence if they had previously had sex, compared to those not exposed.
• Exposure to STF products is also associated with some increase in condom use, but the relationship is not statistically significant, largely due to the small sample size limiting statistical analysis.

Soul Buddyz

A multi-media intervention designed for children aged 8 to 14 in South Africa that focuses on the promotion of children's well-being through the provision of health information and skills, especially those which relate to HIV and AIDS and sexuality. Components include: a television drama, a radio intervention, a "Lifeskills Booklet" for Grade 7, and Soul Buddyz Clubs.

2006 evaluation results:

Cambodia Mass Media Campaign

This was a multifaceted mass media campaign in 2003 that was an effort to help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS, improve care and support for people living with HIV, and improve the health of Cambodia's mothers and children. The co-ordinated campaign consisted of:

• 100 episodes of a soap opera ('Taste of Life') were broadcast.
• 666,000 copies of a photo-strip magazine were produced each month and distributed to the public.
• A youth radio phone-in programme ('Really?') was broadcast weekly.
• A radio discussion programme ('Real Men') was broadcast weekly.
• 99 shows of a radio phone-in programme ('First Steps') were broadcast.
• 23 television and 22 radio public service announcements (PSAs) about child and maternal health. In the space of a year, the radio PSAs were broadcast more than 35,000 times across 11 radio stations.

2006 evaluation results:

• 37% of television and radio audiences said they were discussing HIV and AIDS more often.
• 27% felt they were talking about condoms more often.
• Talking 'sometimes' or 'regularly' about HIV testing rose to 63%.
• The attitude that it was acceptable for women to buy condoms increased from 60% to 80%.

Reducing AIDS-related Stigma and Discrimination in Indian Hospitals

A 4-year effort to ensure the provision of non-stigmatising health services to all patients regardless of HIV status.

• Drew on a participatory approach that encompassed all levels of hospital staff, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), and the various collaborating organisations
• Involved:
  • development and dissemination of printed guidelines for HIV care and management
  • sensitivity training of health workers about the needs and rights of people with HIV
  • expansion and strengthening of HIV testing and counseling services
  • development and dissemination of educational material (posters).

2006 evaluation results:

• "About three or four years back, we had an HIV-positive patient....The ward staff sprayed DDT [a pesticide] all around the patient's bed so that the virus would not spread. Now these things do not happen."
• At endline, more doctors reported wearing gloves for at-risk procedures such as drawing blood (64% vs. 93%; p < .05), as did ward staff for procedures such as carrying patients blood samples (29% vs. 93%; p < .05). Doctors were also more likely to seek informed consent the last time they ordered an HIV test (40% vs. 59%).
• At baseline, health care workers often took it upon themselves to inform peers and other staff in the hospital about a patient's HIV-positive status. At follow-up there was some improvement among doctors, as a smaller proportion reported informing nurses (87% vs. 71%) and ward staff (51% vs. 30%) about a patient's serostatus. Nurses corroborated this trend; compared to baseline, a smaller proportion at follow-up reported being informed by doctors of a patient's positive HIV status (31% vs. 17%). But there was essentially no change among nurses in telling ward staff (97% vs. 99%). In short, "many health care workers continued to feel that they were entitled to know the HIV status of their patients and to share this information with one another even as they expressed increased respect for patient privacy in general. More work is therefore needed to translate changes in attitudes to changes in practices."

South African National HIV and AIDS Communication Survey 2006

Survey carried out in South Africa that looked in detail at the effects of national HIV/AIDS communication interventions and aimed to show the separate and combined effects of all the interventions.

2006: overall impact of 14 HIV/AIDS communication programmes:

• After controlling for the effects of 17 socio-demographic control variables related to AIDS related behaviour, the joint effects of all 14 AIDS media programmes was found to have a substantial impact on seven important attitudes and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS;
• The cumulative effect of 14 television and radio programmes on using condom with one’s most recent partner to prevent HIV is as strong as the standard social-demographic and socio-economic factors and;
• Mass media AIDS programmes create an environment conducive to discussion and social capital in local communities that in turn have direct effects on AIDS-related behaviour.

Puntos de Encuentro's Somos Diferentes, Somos Iguales (We're Different, We're Equal) - Nicaragua

Featured:

• a weekly national edutainment telenovela called "Sexto Sentido" with a particular focus on HIV risk
• a daily call-in radio show
• community-based activities (coordination across organisational networks, cast visits to schools, youth training camps, and IEC materials).

2005 evaluation results:

• After controlling for age, sex, region, and education, evaluators found that individuals exposed to the intervention were more likely to have talked to someone about HIV in the previous 6 months (OR = 1.4). Those exposed also had: a 32% greater probability (in longitudinal analysis) of having talked with their partner about condom use; a 41% greater probability (in last survey) of interpersonal communication about Somos Diferentes, Somos Iguales (SDSI)-related issues (57% in men and 27% in women); and increased interpersonal and intimate partner communication that resulted in greater probability of consistent condom use with both steady and casual partners. Interpersonal communication with a casual partner resulted in a 63% greater probability of consistent condom use.
• Those exposed to the intervention were more likely to know where to find information and services on HIV and violence (OR = 2.2). Participants with greater exposure to SDSI demonstrated: a 21% greater probability of knowing that it is possible to live with HIV for many years; a 30% greater probability of saying that condom use can prevent HIV; a 31% greater probability of knowing of a centre that provides attention for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/HIV; and a 17% greater probability of knowing where to take an HIV test.
• Evaluators identify the following changes between 2003 and 2005: more support for gender equity, and a decrease in stigmatising attitudes toward (and decreased support for discrimination against) people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA). For example, after controlling for age, sex, region, and education, they found that individuals exposed to the intervention were more likely to say that they would be willing to be friends with PLHA (OR = 2.0).
• Evaluators found that there was an increase in those who had ever had an HIV test. Participants with greater exposure to SDSI demonstrated: 44% greater probability of having used a condom during the last sexual relation with a casual partner; 42% greater probability of having consistently used a condom with casual partners in the last 6 months; and 56% greater probability among men of condom use with casual partners during the last 6 months.

"100% Jeune" Social Marketing Program in Cameroon

Social marketing programme that promoted adolescent reproductive health.

• Empowered youth to practice safe sex
• Promoted dialogue about adolescent reproductive health in the community
• Increased accessibility of condoms to youth.

2005 evaluation results:

• The percentage of youth who used a condom in last sex with their regular partner increased from 32% to 45% for females (p < .05) and from 44%  to 61% for males (p < .01). By controlling for demographic variables and other endogenous and exogenous variables, the findings suggested that exposure to the "100% Jeune" campaign had contributed to these trends.

Population Media Center Radio Soap Operas in Ethiopia

• 2 social-content radio serial dramas designed to change reproductive health behaviours were broadcast from 2002 to 2004.
• Yeken Kignit (or, Looking Over One's Daily Life) was broadcast in the Amharic language (257 episodes)
• Dhimbibba (or, Getting the Best Out of Life), was broadcast in the Oromiffa language (140 episodes)
• Both programmes addressed issues of reproductive health and women's status, including HIV/AIDS, family planning, marriage by abduction, education of daughters, spousal communication, and related issues.

2004 evaluation results:

• Among married women in the Amhara region who were listeners, there was a 55.1 percentage point increase in those who had ever used family planning methods, while among non-listeners, family planning use increased by only 23.5 percentage points. Among married men in the Amhara region who were listeners, there was a 41.3 percentage point increase in those who had ever used family planning methods, while among non-listeners, family planning use increased by only 16.1 percentage points.
• Female listeners of Yeken Kignit sought HIV tests at 3 times the rate of non-listeners; male listeners of this drama sought tests at 4 times the rate of non-listeners.
• There were also substantial increases in adoption of HIV avoidance measures among listeners.
• Increased use of condoms - The proportions of sexually experienced youth at the intervention site reporting ever use of condoms rose significantly between baseline and follow-up, overall (74 to 97%) as well as among males (76 to 98%), and females (71 to 97%). In the comparison site, condom use among sexually experienced youth also rose, but not significantly (71 to 81%), primarily due to increased use among females (68 to 85%), a rise that was not statistically significant.

Journey of Life Radio Show - Ethiopia

Journey of Life was a family planning (FP) and HIV/AIDS prevention-focused radio drama. The drama addressed perceived risk and self-efficacy as it relates to FP and HIV/AIDS and dual protection offered by condoms.

2003 evaluation showed:

• Over sixty percent of respondents reported talking with their friends about JOL episodes; 40.5% talked with their family about JOL episodes; 32.3% talked with a romantic partner about JOL episodes.
• Personal risk perception rose to 66.2% after listening to JOL. While almost all listeners (97.6%) believe that HIV/AIDS is a serious health threat in Ethiopia, they also believe strongly (96%) that they have the power to avoid HIV infection. Most respondents (86.6%) agreed or strongly agreed that after listening to JOL they wanted to change their lives for the better. Specifically, the vast majority of urban youth listeners (95.9%) said that JOL influenced them to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS. Females reported a stronger behavioural impact from JOL than males.
• Most listeners (91%) reported that JOL positively influenced them to use family planning methods. 66.2% of urban youth surveyed in the final evaluation agreed that they were susceptible to HIV infection. Most listeners (95.1%) agreed that JOL made them believe there were effective ways to avoid HIV infection. Over 95% of the listeners said that JOL made them feel hopeful about avoiding HIV infection. Almost all of the listeners (97%) agreed that JOL made them believe that having children when they weren't ready was harmful. Females felt greater perceived severity than males from having children when they weren't ready. Female perceptions that they might have unwanted children if they didn't use family planning were more strongly influenced than male perceptions by JOL. About a quarter of the males (28%) felt increased susceptibility to having unwanted children due to JOL, while nearly double the percentage of females (51%) felt the same. JOL strongly influenced perceptions of self-efficacy with 97.6% of listeners saying the show made them believe they were able to use family planning. Most listeners (90.1%) said that JOL made them believe that family planning prevented one from having children unless one really wanted them.

Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Programme (KARHP)

Implemented over 3 years (October 1999- March 2003) in 2 rural districts in Western Kenya.

• Focused on in- and out-of-school youth aged 10-19 years, in an effort to delay the onset of sexual activity, decrease and/or prevent high-risk sexual behaviours, and increase young people's knowledge of reproductive health and uptake of services.
• Included:
  • peer education
  • guidance and counselling in schools
  • introduction of youth-friendly services in participating health facilities

2003 evaluation results:

• Project activities may have reduced sexual activity among adolescents. Overall, the proportion of youths who had ever had sex reduced in the project areas. While 5.9% and 1% of 10-year-old boys and girls, respectively, reported being sexually active at the beginning of the project, none at this age were sexually active during the evaluation survey. Over half of boys and girls are still virgins at 16 years and among those who ever had sex, activity is irregular and infrequent. During the study period, pregnancy among unmarried girls decreased in both the experimental and control sites.
• Among those young people who were sexually active, there was a general improvement in the reported use of protection at first and last sexual activity by both boys and girls. Twenty-one percent of the boys, and an equal proportion of girls, who had taken part in KARHP activities had used protection the last time they had sex. Also noted was a significant reduction in the number of boys reporting having had symptoms of STIs.

PRISM Youth Campaign - Guinea

This community-based campaign addressed Guineans aged 15 to 24 with messages about abstinence and condom use in an effort to reduce unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STI), and HIV/AIDS. The year-long campaign combined youth-driven community-based interventions with mass media.

2002 evaluation results:

• 60.4% of young men (and 41.0% of young women) in the intervention group reported more community
• openness in discussing youth sexuality issues, as compared to 32.7% of males and 13.3% of females in the control group.
• Among young men in the intervention group (p < 0.01), 85.5% (versus 57.1% in the control group) knew where to get condoms; 70.0% (versus 37.7% in the control group) knew how to use condoms.
• Among young men in the intervention group (p < 0.01), 77.5% (versus 53.0% in the control group) were willing to use condoms; 69.5% (versus 30.6% in the intervention group) advocated for condoms.
• As compared to data collected one year prior to this survey, young women had higher odds (1.27) of contemplating abstinence when they perceived their community to be more open to discussing reproductive health issues.
• The campaign was effective in improving preventive behaviour such as condom use at last sex, which was higher (p < 0.01) in the intervention area than the control (47.6% versus 24.1% for men and 27.0% versus 2.7% for women, respectively). Young men who participated in a larger number of campaign activities showed significantly higher odds (1.24) of using a condom at last sex as compared to one year prior to the survey.

Among Youth - Cameroon

• A research project conducted between July 2000 and February 2002 to encourage abstinence, increase contraceptive use, and reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates among sexually active youth.
• Peer education to address youth through one-on-one counseling
• Use of media and events (theatrical performances, youth magazines, and sporting events)

2002 evaluation results:

• Knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention methods improved during the intervention, but increases were observed in both the intervention and control groups. 53% of those surveyed in the control site during 2000 knew condoms were a prevention method against the disease, compared to 70% in the intervention site. By 2002 75% in the control site and 79% in the intervention zone were familiar with the method. In both sites abstinence was cited second to condoms as the most effective method of prevention against HIV/AIDS. In 2000 it was cited by 19% of youth in both the control and intervention areas. In 2002 the proportion rose to 30% in the control site and 35% in the intervention site.
• In 2000, very few youth were able to cite all 3 methods of prevention (i.e., abstinence, mutual fidelity, and condoms); by 2002, the numbers rose 11% (from 5%) in the control site and to 13% (from 4%) in the intervention site.
• Abstinence increased in the intervention site and decreased in the control site. After the campaign, 62% of intervention site youth reported abstaining, compared to 50% before. In the control site, 56% reported abstaining after the project, down from 60% before. Fidelity also increased, with fewer youth reporting multiple sexual partners. Prior to the intervention, 37% of youth surveyed in Mokolo had more than one sexual partner per year. After the intervention, the percentage fell to 30%. Boys continued to have more sexual partners than girls (38% of boys reported more than one sexual partner per year, compared to 21% of girls).
• Condom use during last intercourse with a regular partner increased in the intervention site from 42% to 62% among boys and from 31% to 42% among girls. Condom use with the last occasional partner remained the same among control group girls (about 61%), but increased significantly among girls exposed to the intervention from 44% to 79%. Similar changes occurred among youth with regular partners in the control group.

Stop AIDS Love Life Campaign - Ghana

This campaign included a song and video produced by Ghanaian artists and producers who donated their time and talent to the project. The song and video frequently aired on television, on radio stations, and on M-NET, an Africa-wide satellite TV station.

Television and radio spots also focused on the ABCs of prevention: sexual Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condom use.

2001 evaluation showed:

• Among sexually active men, condom use at last sex increased from 13% in 1998 to 24% in 2001. Among sexually active women, condom use at last sex increased from 4% to 12% during that period. Further, even after controlling for a number of socio-economic characteristics, those sexually active men and women exposed to the campaign were more likely than unexposed men and women to have used a condom at last sex. While only 10% of male non-viewers used a condom at last sex, 34% of men with high campaign exposure had behaviour had done so.
• The number of condoms sold during the two years following the campaign (34.8 million) was almost double that sold during the two years prior to the campaign (18.8 million).
• Although condom use increased, age at first sex and multiple partnerships were largely unchanged by the campaign among the population at large. Reported faithfulness, however, did increase among married men with high exposure to the campaign as compared to those with no exposure.

loveLife Campaign - South Africa

Launched in September 1999, loveLife is a brand-driven, comprehensive national programme designed for young people in South Africa. It focuses on reducing the negative consequences of premature and adolescent sex by promoting sexual health and healthy lifestyles for young people. The programme combines various forms of media – television, radio, and print - with outreach and support programmes and a nationwide drive to develop adolescent-friendly health services.

2001 evaluation showed:

• A majority (58%) of the youth who had heard of loveLife reported that as a result of loveLife they had talked to their friends, family, or others about loveLife and/or lifestyle issues in general and that they are thinking about and discussing relationships. 67% say it has caused them to talk to their friends about sex, sexuality, and relationships between men and women, and 57% agree that it has caused them to think more about the openness and honesty of their romantic relationships. Among those who have heard of loveLife, 64% say it has provided them the opportunity to talk to their parents about HIV/AIDS, and nearly half say it has provided them the opportunity to talk with their parents about relationships between men and women (48%), sex (46%), and other difficult issues (48%). Among the 41% of parents of 12-17 year olds who have heard of loveLife, 61% say they have talked with their child about it.
• 39% percent of youth who had heard of loveLife looked for more information on sex, sexuality and relationships between men and women; 20% had visited a clinic or private doctor. Some who have heard of loveLife report making behavioral changes as a result of loveLife, including delaying or abstaining from sex (65%) and exploring other forms of sexual activity, like masturbation or oral sex (21%).
• Among the 20% of all youth who are both sexually experienced (defined as youth who report ever having had sexual intercourse) and who have heard of loveLife, almost eight out of 10 (78%) report that as a result of loveLife they have used condoms when having sex. Almost seven out of 10 (69%) sexually experienced youth who have heard of loveLife report it has caused them to limit or reduce their number of sexual partners, and 63% say it has caused them to be more assertive in insisting on the use of a condom. This means that in terms of sexually experienced South African youth overall, more than half (53%) report that as a result of loveLife they have used condoms when having sex, and almost half say that it has caused them to limit or reduce their number of sexual partners (47%).

Soul City 4 - South Africa

Highlighted the issue of violence against women in Southern Africa, as well as HIV/AIDS issues, including condom use and voluntary testing.

Included:

• A television series
• A daily radio drama
• Full-colour booklets
• An advertising/publicity campaign
• An advocacy and social mobilisation campaign

2000 evaluation results:

• HIV/AIDS: the likelihood of positive HIV/AIDS behaviour is 3.9 times higher (p< 0.01) amongst respondents with high exposure to SC TV than amongst respondents with no exposure to SC TV. (This includes using a condom, asking one's partner to use a condom, asking one's partner to go for an HIV test, going for an HIV test oneself, and helping someone who is HIV positive.)
• Respondents exposed to more than one source of SC were significantly more likely to say they had asked a partner to use a condom to prevent getting HIV/AIDS during the broadcast period, with a difference of 28 percentage-points (57% vs 85%) between those with no exposure to SC and those with exposure to 2 sources of SC (p< 0.05).
• Exposure to SC 4 radio was associated with HIV testing: 34% of respondents (valid responses) with no exposure to SC radio had asked their partner to go for an HIV test over the broadcast period compared to 77% of respondents (valid responses) with medium exposure to SC radio; 33% (valid responses) of respondents with no exposure to SC radio had gone for an HIV test themselves, compared to 72% (valid responses) of respondents with medium exposure to SC radio (p< 0.05).
• Reports of “always” using condoms increased with increased exposure to SC: 6% of respondents with no exposure to SC reported “always” using condoms, whereas 16%, 30% and 38% of respondents with exposure to 1, 2 and 3 sources of SC respectively reported that they “always” used condoms (p< 0.05). Respondents aged 16 to 24 with high exposure to Soul City TV were more likely to report that they always use a condom than respondents with no exposure to SC TV (38% vs 26%, p< 0.05), a difference of 12 percentage-points.

Sexual Health Information and Services for Youth - China

• Sexual health programme for unmarried youth (ages 15 to 24) to increase the sexual health information and services available to young people, both in- and out-of-school, living in urban areas of China.
• Included:
  • community-based sexual health counselling and contraceptive services at a youth health counselling centre
  • sex education through youth-focused pamphlets and lectures
  • group activities, including interactive discussion, on sexual health issues
  • contraceptives and condoms made available free of charge to young people
  • sexual health videos, shown at local cinemas prior to popular movies
  • training for family planning providers in provision of youth-friendly services
  • meetings of community leaders and parents.

2000 evaluation results:

• Proportions of youth reporting ever use and/or consistent use of contraception rose significantly among sexually experienced youth in the intervention site between baseline and follow-up.
• At the intervention site, reports of ever use of contraception rose significantly among all youth (from 65 to 99%), among males (68 to 99%), and among females (60 to 99%). Among sexually experienced youth at the comparison site ever contraceptive use rose, but less so (75 to 83%). The rise in ever use of contraception was statistically
  significant for females and for all youth at the intervention site.
• The proportions reporting regular use of contraception rose significantly among sexually experienced youth from the intervention site between baseline and follow-up overall (34 to 89%) as well as among males (33 to 88%) and females (36 to 90%). At the same time among sexually experienced youth at the comparison site regular contraceptive use remained unchanged (44 to 45%).

Twende na Wakati (Let's Go with the Times) - Tanzania

A radio soap opera which promoted HIV/AIDS prevention, family planning, gender equity, and other health issues and was designed to stimulate interpersonal communication about AIDS among the listeners by presenting them with negative, transitional, and positive role models for HIV prevention behaviours.

2000 evaluation results:

• Researchers found positive effects of the radio soap opera on the adoption of HIV/AIDS prevention practices among the listeners. The findings suggested that, after accounting for the potential effects of other national anti-AIDS programmes, 16% of the people in the treatment group had adopted AIDS prevention methods in 1996, and 12% in 1997, as the direct result of listening to the radio soap. The listeners who had adopted an HIV/AIDS prevention method reported reducing the number of their sexual partners (77% in 1995) rather than adopting condom use (15% in 1995) or ceasing to share razors (6% in 1995).

Mass Media Campaign HIV/AIDS - Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

• A mass media campaign in 1998 to promote positive responses to HIV/AIDS through a national multimedia campaign. Youth and urban populations were targeted along with prospective parents.
• Included use of:
  • Television
  • Musicians/music
  • Children's notebooks
  • Radio

1998 evaluation results:

• 85% of the people 6 months after the songs release said that the songs affected their behavior. Of the 85%, one in three were discouraged from multiple partners, one in four began to believe in abstinence, and one in six were encouraged to remain faithful to one partner.
• After two years of the project, 16% more of the people affected by the project said that they had become mutually faithful to their partners (from 28.9 to 45.7%). When asked how their behaviour had changed, 5 times more people responded “by using condoms” (2.6 - 18.8%)
• After the TV drama, nearly 75% of the viewers were encouraged to change their behaviour, and 90% wanted to see another programme.

School Health Education - Uganda

• A sexuality education programme based on social learning theory and intending to change basic attitudes about sexual intercourse and to encourage safer sexual behaviours, delays in the initiation of sexual intercourse and, among sexually experienced youth, reductions in the number of their sex partners.
• Social mobilisation through:
  • a local steering committee
  • a full-time health educator
  • health professionals
  • the involvement and training of local leaders and heads of schools as well as parents, teachers, and senior tutors

1996 evaluation results:

• Between 1994 and 1996, the proportion of students at intervention schools who reported having ever had sex fell significantly from 43% to 11%. At the same time, the proportion of youth from comparison schools who reported ever having had sex remained virtually unchanged (26% in 1994 versus 27% in 1996).
• Among sexually experienced youth in 1994, youth at intervention schools reported an average of 2.2 sex partners; by 1996, this number had fallen to an average of 1.4 sex partners. By contrast, reported numbers of sex partners among sexually experienced youth in comparison schools were 2.1 in 1994 and 2.0 in 1996. The difference was statistically significant. (Note: At baseline, the youth from intervention schools were 3.7 times more likely to be sexually active than those from comparison schools (43% versus 26%, respectively). The youth from rural intervention schools were also 3.7 times more likely to have had sex than youth from comparison schools.)

Family AIDS Education & Prevention through Imams - Uganda

Aims to help Muslim leaders incorporate accurate information about HIV/AIDS prevention into their spiritual teachings by linking the teachings of the Qur'an with recommended risk reduction behaviour. The programme is an effort to provide culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention education to Muslim families living in rural communities and trading centres in Uganda.

1994 evaluation results:

• Between baseline and follow-up, a statistically significant proportion of responding youth from the intervention areas reported a reduced number of sex partners versus responding youth from comparison areas. Among males ages 15 to 24 from the intervention areas, the proportion reporting two or more partners fell from 45% at baseline to 32% at follow-up while rising from 45% to 59% among male youth from the comparison area. Among females ages 15 to 24 from the intervention areas, the proportion reporting two or more partners fell from 13% at baseline to 6% at follow-up while rising from 13% to 16% among female youth from the comparison area.
• Instruction about the importance of using condoms was included in the programme only in the second year, when Imams acknowledged that condoms were an HIV prevention tool that could not be ignored. Reports of ever use rose from 15% at baseline to 25% at follow-up among males from the intervention areas; reports of ever use of condoms also rose among males from the comparison areas (from 15% to 21%). The comparative rise, though slight, was statistically significant for males from the intervention areas.