Abstract:

Family Health International (FHI), a non-governmental organization, is spearheading a program in Indonesia funded by USAID and aimed at increasing risk reduction behaviour among individuals at high risk of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).The purpose of the FHI program is to identify the means by which the spread of HIV to the general population can be prevented or limited via intervention amongst high-risk groups such as commercial sex workers and their clients. Greater usage of condoms is an essential component of the program and thus the first step was to develop a strong communication strategy. Family Health International needed research intervention in order to develop a focused, high impact campaign. The project commenced with a qualitative examination of the attitudes and opinions of the high-risk population in various geographical areas of Indonesia. The outputs were then used to develop advertising concepts that were subsequently evaluated by quantitative means.