Launched in 8 districts in Guinea in July and August 2001, this community-based campaign was designed to foster open discussion about sexual health issues affecting young people. The 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.

The majority of respondents participated in at least one campaign activity, with more men (83%) than women (63%) participating. Peer educators were the primary source of reproductive health messages; more than 80% of youth felt that community and religious leaders supported the peer educators.

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.

Again, 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.

Communication Impact! [PDF] June 2003, Number 16; and letter sent from Kim Martin to The Communication Initiative on June 27 2003.