Benin Youth Magazine Favors ABCs of AIDS Prevention

COTONOU, Benin Oct. 30, 2003 — PSI/Benin's youth reproductive health magazine, Amour & Vie (Love & Life), has a history of creating measurable behavior change among its readers and, with its relaunch, a promising future of even more health impact.

As part of its relaunch, three issues were created on the ABCs (Abstinence, Be faithful and Condoms) which have been sold throughout Benin with an average circulation of more than 35,000 copies per issue. The ABCs of HIV/AIDS prevention have taken on a hip and youthful look thanks to the magazine.

Over the past year PSI/Benin has revamped its magazine using data that demonstrates the magazine's readers have a greater understanding of HIV/AIDS and sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) than non-readers. By integrating the essentials of HIV/AIDS protection with messages from Beninese pop stars, questions from Beninese youth and other features, Amour & Vie grabs the attention of the young generation.

Amour & Vie, which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, was first created in 1996 as a free source of HIV/AIDS/STI information for the youth of Benin. Each two-page issue had a comic strip and a Q&A section, in addition to special contests and games. Between 1996 and 1999 twenty five editions were created and distributed throughout the country.

In 1999, a knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) study conducted by PSI showed the first evidence of the magazine's impact. It showed that 56% had read Amour & Vie. Even when controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, the KAP results showed that reading Amour & Vie positively impacted behaviors, attitudes and knowledge. Amongst young, educated, urban males, those who had read Amour & Vie were three times more likely to have discussed condom use with a partner and one-and-a-half times less likely to think that using a condom implies a lack of trust. Additionally, those who had read the magazine were two times as likely to know where to obtain a condom and twice as likely to have ever used a condom.

The publication was temporarily discontinued in 1999 and revived in 2002. Amour & Vie, now eight pages in full color, is sold to readers for 50 francs CFA (U.S. $0.09) per copy. Targeting primarily urban and semi-urban areas, the magazine is part of a larger behavior change communications (BCC) program targeting youth. This program targets both urban and rural youth and includes interpersonal communication activities (especially for out-of-school youth) and mass media campaigns (TV and radio spots, as well as a weekly radio call-in program to be launched).

Each issue of the Amour & Vie magazine has a specific theme, and features a Beninese celebrity with an interview and pullout poster of the star. In each issue youth are encouraged to write in asking questions, giving advice to their peers and responding to the issue's trivia/game contest. A contest is held in which readers who send in the correct answers to certain questions pertaining to the issue's theme have the chance to win an Amour & Vie t-shirt. The responses generated from the contests also provide an indication of readers' demographics and how well the readers are grasping the material. In just eight months, more than one thousand readers have sent in letters or emails asking questions and sharing opinions, along with many photos, poems and drawings.

When PSI/Benin relaunched Amour & Vie magazine in 2002 it was decided to dedicate an issue to each of the ABCs:

• The Abstinence issue highlights delaying sexual debut as the best way to prevent HIV/AIDS/STIs. Throughout the issue, Beninese youth give their thoughts on 'waiting for true love', while others ask candid questions about what it means to abstain.

• The Being Faithful issue focuses on the dangers of having more than one sexual partner and described youths' habits of jumping from partner to partner with the slang phrase "zapping." As in every issue, there were games, a comic strip and fun facts that revolved around staying faithful and decreasing the number of sexual partners.

• The Condom Use edition centers on topics related to consistent and correct condom use: why use them, how to use them properly and how condoms are made. This edition was especially attractive to young women. The popular female Beninese singer, Zeynab, was featured in this issue with an exclusive interview in which she spoke about her personal experience of becoming pregnant at the age of 16. Zeynab urged young women to abstain from sexual relations, or if they were already sexually active, to always use a condom.

The Amour & Vie BCC program continues to grow and touch on new and crucial topics for youth of today. And with more celebrities and pop stars ready to participate and future editions that talk straight to young Beninese about love and life, Amour & Vie magazine will undoubtedly remain in high demand.

— Claire Moodie, PSI/Benin

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PSI/Benin's youth magazine, Amour & Vie, reachers young people with messages about the ABCs of HIV/AIDS prevention.