PCI-Media Impact Youth Radio Shows Change Lives in Central America
Popular Dramas Teach Youth about HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health

March 7, 2007 – PCI-Media Impact, a global not-for-profit producer of TV and radio shows in over 25 countries, celebrates the impressive first-year results of two of its youth radio programs: “Que Ondas con tu Vida” (What’s Up with Your Life?) and “La Ruleta: Donde las Emociones se Funden” (The Roulette – Where Emotions Melt) produced and broadcast in Honduras and Guatemala, respectively.

Co-produced through PCI-Media Impact’s innovative “My Community” program, both dramas tackle critical public health issues that are often seen as taboo – issues such as emergency contraception, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and reproductive health rights. Each mini-drama was written, acted, and produced by local talent, and broadcast within a weekly live show along with music, interviews, and contests.

In Honduras, PCI-Media Impact co-produces the radio drama “Que Ondas con tu Vida,” with Ashonplafa, which is the largest sexual and reproductive health service provider in Honduras and an International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) affiliate. Among other results, pre and post-test surveys conducted with over 500 adolescents revealed:

• 91% of listeners in the post-test demonstrated knowledge of sexual violence among youth, compared to 60% of respondents in the baseline survey
• Knowledge of emergency contraception was higher among listeners to the radio program (25.5%) than non-listeners (17.4%)
• 64% of listeners to the radio drama defined family planning as a right, opposed to 59% of non-listeners

"IPPF’s partnership with PCI-Media Impact has been extremely valuable to the institution and the affiliate organizations we work with in Latin America,” said River Finlay, IPPF’s Youth/HIV Program Coordinator for the Western Hemisphere Region. “As reproductive health program and service providers, it’s critical that these organizations improve their capacity to promote their services, develop effective health messages, and transmit them through creative ways tailored to specific target audiences.”

In Peten, Guatemala, the NGO Asociacion Tan Ux’il registered an increase in young clients and demand for contraceptive products as a result of “La Ruleta,” the radio drama they co-produced with PCI-Media Impact. Tan Ux’il promotes a wide range of family planning products available at their own pharmacy and has even launched a broad-based social marketing campaign for youth with posters, fliers and t-shirts. Even the NGO’s “Emergency Combo Packs” – which include two condoms and a course of emergency contraception pills – carry the radio drama’s name and logo. Tan Ux’il’s peer educators report that approximately 60% of new clients gained during the broadcast period referenced the radio drama as a main source of their motivation for seeking contraception. In addition:

• During the first three months of “La Ruleta’s” broadcast, 600 new clients visited Tan Ux’il’s pharmacy
• During the first three months of broadcast, Tan Ux’il’s pharmacy and peer educators recorded a 70% increase of clients requesting contraceptive pills and condoms for a three month total of 1,409 clients
• During “La Ruleta’s” first broadcast season, Tan Ux’il reported an increase of 1,673 new clients.

"We saw great potential in both programs and we were excited to provide support at the earliest stages,” said PCI-Media Impact Executive Director, Michael Castlen. “However, we were surprised to see the impact these shows were having so soon after broadcast. It confirms our belief that PCI-Media Impact’s model is working, that it’s effective, and that our life-saving messages are reaching the people most in need of them.”

For more information about “ My Community” - Latin America , please click here. Error processing SSI file

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