The Effectiveness of Targeted Social Marketing to Promote Adolescent Reproductive Health

Abstract

ABSTRACT Adolescents and young adults in South Africa increasingly face reproductive health problems, including unplanned pregnancy and exposure to infection with HIV and STDs. Hence, there is much interest in the effectiveness of policies and interventions that specifically address adolescent reproductive health. This study uses a quasi-experimental control group design to assess the effect of a targeted social marketing program on reproductive health beliefs and behavior among young women in Soweto. In response to adolescents' concerns, the intervention was developed with a focus on pregnancy prevention. The findings indicate that the intervention increased young women's awareness of the risk of pregnancy, awareness that condoms are effective for pregnancy and HIV/AIDS prevention, awareness that other contraceptives are effective for pregnancy prevention, discussions about contraception, and increased the percentage of women who have used condoms. These results suggest that the intervention was more eff...