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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Anna L. García1, Terri L. Walsh, MPH1, and Ron Frezieres, MSPH2. (1) Research Division, California Family Health Council, Inc., 3600 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90010, 213-386-5614, garciaa@cfhc.org, (2) Research, California Family Health Council, Inc, 3600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90010
After conducting a local survey that showed that over 90% of Latinas had little or no information about emergency contraception, the California Family Health Council launched a community awareness campaign to reach underserved Latino neighborhoods in Southern California. The campaign developed Spanish-language educational materials, posters, and postcards. Local family planning providers were informed of the upcoming campaign and were given EC resources, including emergency contraception brochures in English and Spanish to give to their patients. The brochures used a question and answer format written at a fourth-grade reading level. Special care was taken to create materials that would appeal to a Latino audience.
Campaign messages were tested in English and Spanish-language focus groups. Over 900 attention getting posters with information tear-offs were placed inside Los Angeles County bus interiors for two months. The Spanish and English poster tear-offs contained information on emergency contraception and a toll-free hotline number. Over 20,000 postcards were also handed out at shopping malls and swap meets. In addition, over 50,000 emergency contraception brochures were distributed by family planning providers. Calls to a toll-free hotline and provider surveys were used to gauge campaign impact.
The strengths and weaknesses of the various campaign strategies, as well as the success of the toll-free hotline will also be discussed. Responses to a variety of emergency contraception images and messages obtained from focus groups will be presented. Samples of the Spanish-language materials developed by the campaign will be distributed to the audience.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.