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Love9 was a weekly TV and radio programme which aimed to address sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues among young people in Cambodia. Our research suggests that the audience found the programme both entertaining and informative and that it helped audience members to think differently about some important issues.

Publication date: January 2015

Context

In Cambodia young people often have very little say over their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Traditional values and morals deem matters related to sex to be taboo, resulting in few open conversations around SRH. A number of organisations address SRH issues in Cambodia through the media and provide support by means of public service announcements (PSAs) mobile phone and telephone hotline services, and social media. Currently, however, no other mass media programmes cover SRH issues in a similar manner to .

The project

Love9 addressed SRH issues for young people through TV, radio and interactive internet platforms. National broadcasters aired eight weekly episodes of the TV programme from October to November 2014. A weekly radio broadcast also ran between June and December 2014.

In addition to addressing knowledge and attitudes,  aimed to make talking about sexual and reproductive health normal and acceptable. To achieve this, the magazine programme included a comedy-drama, a segment with members of a fictional rural family who watched the show, and light-hearted studio discussions with celebrities and guests.

Research methodology

This research sought to understand if, how and why  influenced knowledge, attitudes and discussion around sexual and reproductive health. Researchers conducted paired interviews with two young audience members at a time (who were within the same friendship group and had both watched the Love9 TV programme).

They also held in-depth interviews with older people (parents/guardians) who had watched the programme and had children who watched the programme.

Parents and youth included in the study were not from the same families. The young people recruited were aged 15 to 24, came from urban and rural backgrounds, and were a mix of single people and those in a relationship or married.

Findings

• Young people were very positive about Love9 鈥� they found it entertaining and funny, but they also recognise that it offers them important and useful information about sexual and reproductive health issues.
• Young people and parents trusted the information provided in Love9 and parents viewed the programme positively, recognising its educational role.
• The Love9 programmes have served to reinforce areas of existing knowledge around SRH for young people, especially contraception and health services. But it also highlighted specific new areas young people know less about such as access to safe abortion and the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections.
• Love9 helped to challenge audiences to think differently about some issues, for example women鈥檚 use of contraception. However, some attitudes remained entrenched such as differing expectations of young men and young women sexual behaviour.
• Young people still did not feel confident talking to their parents about SRH issues. Parents wanted to provide advice and tell their children what to do and children were worried that they would be judged by their parents.
• On the positive side, young people were talking to each other about these issues, which is important to recognise.

Implications and impact

It is important to ensure that more young people are engaged in all segments rather than changing channel during the magazine segment. This might be achieved by splitting the drama into two sections to keep the young people tuned in or using more celebrity popular guests or games to reinforce knowledge.

Characters should be used to role model positive attitudes or practices and the consequences of different choices. For example, women should be shown taking responsibility for protecting themselves from STIs and unwanted pregnancy and not being judged for doing so.

Discussion about SRH among young people should continue to be encouraged and showcased, especially between young people in a relationship and in friendships. The programme could also role model conversations between parents that both highlight and address their concerns about young people鈥檚 sexual practices. More realistic discussions between parents and their children could also be shown.