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BELGRADE, Serbia, May 1, 2003 — PSI has launched its program in Serbia with the campaign What is Your Excuse? powered by the Southeastern Europe Regional RiskNet project funded by the United Nations Populations Fund. Confronting attitudinal barriers to condom use among youth across the region in Serbia, Romania (launched April), Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina (launched in June), the campaign acts on the top two reasons offered by youth for not using condoms: "I trust my partner" and "It doesn't feel good." PSI created What is Your Excuse? to address the usual excuses of condom refusal, "It makes me uncomfortable," "I don't like it, it's too tight," "I only like it natural," "Where am I supposed to carry it?" and "We trust each other." Using visual contradictions of those excuses, the campaign grabs the attention of the target audience - youth ages 15-24 - and reminds them there are no excuses: use condoms. In pre-test focus groups, youth launched into heated debates about sexual health issues and said they would watch the commercial several times rather than just flipping the channel. The RiskNet youth social marketing campaign for HIV/STI prevention and sexual health promotion includes one television commercial, five radio spots, and billboards. PSI and local NGO partners were able to negotiate free placement of the TV and radio spots by emphasizing the importance of this program in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. NGOs in each country target young people, distributing posters and flyers with condoms to youth in cafes, clubs, parks, campuses and discos and implementing interpersonal activities to enable behavior change. — Cheryl Barnds, associate program manager for PSI/Europe and Eurasia, and Daun Fest, country representative for PSI/Romania
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