The Straight Talk Campaign in Uganda: Impact of mass media initiatives—Summary report

This Horizons study in Uganda found that exposure by adolescents to Straight Talk, a mass media initiative focused on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), was associated with greater ASRH knowledge, a greater likelihood of having been tested for HIV, and more communication with parents about ASRH issues

Helping youth prevent HIV: An evaluation of the Straight Talk program in Uganda

Mass media initiatives are being implemented globally to provide information and foster HIV preventive behavior, however there has been limited evaluation of these efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. The Straight Talk (ST) program in Uganda has targeted youth with HIV and reproductive health (RH) information for over a decade. Evaluation results show positive associations between exposure to ST media and a number of key outcomes among youth, including sexual behavior, knowledge, and attitudes. In 2005–06, the Horizons Program conducted the first impact evaluation of the ST program in Uganda to document its effects on young people. This brief focuses on the findings of the adolescent survey. Overall, the study indicates that many Ugandan adolescents have benefited from ST products, and that greater exposure was associated with greater benefits. This includes less sexual activity among exposed males, and higher levels of HIV testing and RH knowledge among exposed youth. The ST program is using the results of the Horizons’ evaluation to strengthen the successful elements of its activities and address gaps