Promoting Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Research to Practice through Social Media

Purpose: This presentation will describe the increasing popularity of social media, explore the use of social media as a tool to promote research to practice, and share how USAID's Interagency Youth Working Group (IYWG) is using social media to promote youth sexual and reproductive health (YSRH) in developing countries.

Data or Information: Two-thirds of the approximately 1.6 billion people who use the internet visit social media sites, so it is no surprise that large corporations are using social media to promote their products and increase their use. This same approach can be adopted by the global health community.

FHI 360, on behalf of the IYWG, is harnessing the power of social media to share new research findings, build virtual communities of practice, and advocate for the application of promising research and program results in YSRH programs. Social media, with its low cost and broad reach, provides an opportunity to rapidly disseminate new findings and speed their application in the field.

Data or Results: Through e-forums, blogging, Twitter, and Facebook, the IYWG has reached more than 10,000 people from approximately 80 countries in the past year alone. The IYWG uses social media to create a space where researchers, program staff, and young people review new research findings, discuss their program implications, and develop and advocate for strategies for application.

Recommendations or Implications: The growing popularity of social media provides a new opportunity for the global health community to promote research to practice, leading to improved health outcomes.