Peer Education as a Strategy to Increase Contraceptive Prevalence and Reduce the Rate of STIs/HIV among Adolescents in Cameroon

The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID. SUMMARY The Institute for Behavioral Studies and Research (IRESCO) completed an operations research project entitled " Among Youth " targeting adolescents in the Mokolo neighborhood of Yaoundé, Cameroon. The intervention took place over a period of 19 months between July 2000 and February 2002. To measure the effects of the project, IRESCO completed baseline and endline surveys in May 2000 and March 2002. These surveys assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of youth aged 12 – 24 in the intervention site, and in the neighborhood of New Bell, located in Douala, which served as the control site. The 2000 survey was conducted among 2,504 adolescents (1,266 males and 1,238 females) and the 2002 survey included 2,464 adolescents (1,219 males and 1,245 females). The majority of the youth interviewed were high school students between 15 and 19 years old. A total of 49 peer educators were trained in effective reproductive health communication and teaching techniques. These young men and women were then charged with the responsibility of educating their peers through informal educational talks, one-on-one sessions, conferences and round table discussions, and through cultural and athletic activities. Each educator organized at least one educational discussion per week in a popular public location: cultural centers, schools, or sports or cultural events. The messages were presented in formal and non-formal settings. Peer educators were under the direct supervision of two communication experts who oversaw all activities. IRESCO also worked with youth in the target area to produce a magazine on adolescent reproductive health. They produced six editions of " Among Youth " magazine in English and French in 2001 and several comic books and brochures on reproductive health issues that affect adolescents' lives, including living with HIV and ways to prevent STI transmission. The number of youth familiar with the magazine " Among Youth " in 2000 was marginal. During the intervention one in ten people in the intervention area received copies of the magazine, and a total of 200,000 were distributed in 2001. After the intervention 44 percent of respondents surveyed in the intervention area had read at least one issue. Adolescent Knowledge about HIV/AIDS Knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention methods improved during the intervention, but increases were observed in both the intervention and control groups. Fifty-three percent of those surveyed in the control site …