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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2001
More Equals Less: New Study Shows Increased Media
Exposure Leads to Reduced Sexual Activity Among Youth in Zimbabwe
BALTIMORE — The more exposure young people have to messages encouraging self-control and self-respect, the less likely they are to engage in risky sexual behavior, according to a new study of Zimbabwe youth published by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP).
"The research shows that multi-media campaigns can increase the reach and impact of messages designed to encourage young people to use contraception, discuss reproductive health and to say no to sex," said Young Mi Kim, senior research and evaluation advisor at JHU/CCP.
The study also found that the more components of the campaign that the youth were exposed to, the more likely they were to change their sexual behavior in response. Campaign elements included posters with slogans saying "You may think you're ready for sex, but are you ready for the consequences?" and "Value your body and a happy future lies ahead."
Another campaign element was a one-hour radio program called "Youth for Real" that continues to air in Zimbabwe and combines information and advice with music and mini-dramas. Radio is widely available in Zimbabwe with 94 percent of urban and 87 percent of rural young people surveyed in the study having access to radio. Elaborate launch events also took place to encourage community support. These events featured popular musicians, soccer games, donkey parades, and a parachute drop.
The campaign also built support in the community and within the health care system by encouraging young people to talk about responsible sexual behavior. The campaign prompted young people to discuss reproductive health issues with friends and families. Youth who were exposed to the campaign were also more likely than those who were not to say no to sex and to seek services at health and youth centers.
The study involved 1,400 women and men between the ages of 10 and 24 in five sites in Zimbabwe, a country with one of the world's highest AIDS prevalence rates. The results appear in the latest issue of International Family Planning Perspectives, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal of The Alan Guttmacher Institute.
"Promoting Sexual Responsibility Among Young People in Zimbabwe" examined the outcomes of the two-year ZNFPC campaign and was written by Young Mi Kim and Adrienne Kols of the Center for Communication Programs and colleagues with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC).
The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped transform the theory and practice of public health. JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has developed and managed over 300 country-based projects and contracts in 50 countries involving more than 200 local organizations and subcontractors. JHU/CCP is partly funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
For more information contact: Kim Martin at Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. Tel: 410 659-6140; Fax: 410 659-6266.
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