2011 Grant Recipient
Rwanda
Undergraduate, Biology & Anthropology, School of Arts & Sciences
The Behavior Change and Social Marketing project (BCSM) is an integrated project aimed to promote healthy behaviors in different domains including HIV/AIDS, family planning malaria, maternal and child health and gender based violence. Personal, social and cultural factors remain key barriers to reach the goal of improving Rwandan health. Lack of accurate information on reproductive health exposes many youth to the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Family planning messages have never been specifically directed towards youth, leaving them unaware of the importance of family planning, and limited knowledge of different family planning methods. Guided by erroneous beliefs, several couples and parents are still reluctant to use common social marketing products known to prevent sickness and improve life. Few people adopt the use of proven methods that could save lives such as mosquito nets, sur’eau, condoms and other family planning methods due to significant rumors and misconceptions.
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