Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115091

Aparna Jain, MPH, Nicholas S. Kanlisi, MD, Ilze Melngailis, and John M. Pile, MPH. EngenderHealth, 440 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10001, 212.993.9850, ajain@engenderhealth.org

The ACQUIRE Project in partnership with EngenderHealth/Ghana launched a five-month communications campaign aimed at increasing demand for vasectomy services in Greater Accra. The campaign consisted of mass media segments aired on television and radio, print materials, a 24-hour telephone hotline, community outreach, and public relations; the project activities included physician training in no-scalpel vasectomy and creation of “male-friendly” services. This campaign is unique because it complements existing project activities that focus on strengthening vasectomy services, thus linking demand and supply aspects of service delivery and utilization. An evaluation of this campaign assessed change in awareness, knowledge, and utilization of vasectomy services.

A cohort study was conducted from February to June 2004, and study participants were surveyed before the launch of the campaign and at its conclusion. The sample was stratified proportionately by suburbs, and households were randomly selected in each suburb. 212 men were interviewed at baseline and successfully followed to endline. Study participants were married men, aged 43 years, from 30 to 55, with at least three living children.

Study results reveal: (1) over 55% of participants reported exposure to one or more campaign components; (2) vasectomy awareness doubled from 30% at baseline to 65% at end line; (3) over half of the participants who reported exposure to a television advertisement inquired or discussed vasectomy with wife or friends.

While the results of this study are favorable, numbers remain relatively small. Based on previous demand-generation strategies, we expect that increased vasectomy awareness will translate into growth vasectomy acceptors.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Discuss the effects of a vasectomy communications campaign on increasing awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards vasectomy
• Assess the effect of the campaign in communicating information about vasectomy services

Keywords: Communication Evaluation,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation