Abstract
This paper discusses the results of a systematic review of the Condom Social Marketing (CSM) program which was implemented in Fiji by a non-profit organization for a period of 5 years. The CSM program was introduced during a decade when Fiji was recording an escalating number of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections. The aim of the program was to increase the awareness and utilization of safe sexual practices among the most vulnerable group—the youths—which had reported the highest incidences of sexually transmitted infections. Program assessment revealed that the CSM program had reportedly increased the acceptability, accessibility, and usage of their TRY TiME condoms in Fiji. We conducted a survey on a sample of sexually active people during January–February 2009 to examine their prevailing level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, sexual behavior/practices, and risk perception. The results showed that, despite the high level of awareness about HIV/AIDS among survey participants, people did not consistently practice safe sexual behavior and commonly identified themselves as at low risk of acquiring HIV. This paper concludes that more extensive behavior change programs are needed in order to influence people to change their risky sexual practices and reassess their risk perceptions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ADB. (2006). HIV/AIDS in the Pacific. Asian Development Bank. Acquired on 4/8/2008 from http://www.adb.org/Projects/HIV-AIDS/Documents/HIV-AIDSprn2.pdf.
Buchanan-Aruwafu, H. (2007). An integrated picture: HIV risk and vulnerability in the Pacific; Research Gaps, Priorities and Approaches. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Acquired on 26/9/2011 from http://www.fsm.ac.fj/files/An%20Integrated%20Picture-%20HIV%20Risk%20and%20Vulnerability%20in%20the%20Pacific.pdf.
Cattermole, J. (2008). WE ARE FIJI: Rugby, music and the representation of the Fijian Nation. Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures, 2(2). Acquired on 14/12/2011 from http://www.shimajournal.org/issues/v2n2/h.%20Cattermole%20Shima%20v2n2%2099-115.pdf.
Chritopoulos, A., & Reynolds, L. (2009). Evaluating social marketing: Lessons from ShowCase. Perspectives in Public Health, 129(6), 272–276.
Cugelman, B. (2010). Online social marketing: Website factors in behavioral change. PhD thesis, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Drysdale, R. (2004). Pacific regional HIV/AIDS and STI initiative: Behavior change communication training needs assessment report (August 2004). Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Retrieved on 30/1/2009, from http://www.spc.int/hiv/downloads/behaviour-change-communication/.
Duve, R. N., & Samuel, S. (1995). Social marketing of contraceptives in the Pacific: A SPAFH initiative. Pacific Health Dialog, 2(2).
Fowler, D., O’Loughlin, B., & Tikinatabua, V. (2007). Mid-term review of the Pacific Regional strategy on HIV (2004–2008) and its implementation—Final report. Secretariat of the Pacific community. Retrieved on 18/12/2008 from http://www.spc.int/hiv/images/stories/mid-term%20review%20on%20hiv_final1.pdf.
Fox, K. F. A. (1988). Social marketing of oral rehydration therapy and contraceptives in Egypt. Studies in Family Planning, 19(2), 95–108.
Gordon, R., McDermott, L., Stead, M., & Angus, K. (2006). The effectiveness of social marketing interventions for health improvement: What’s the evidence? Journal of the Royal Institute of Public Health, 120, 1133–1139.
Hammar, L. (2011). Me, my intimate partner, and HIV: Fijian self-assessments of transmission risks. United Nations Development Programme Pacific Centre.
Harvey, P. D. (2008). Social marketing: No longer a sideshow. Studies in Family Planning, 39(1), 69–72.
Honeyman, S. W. (2008). Historical highlights of social marketing 1969–2000. [Online Article] Retrieved on 8/02/2009, from www.psp-one.com/files/5009_file_Historical_Highlightshonemanp3.pdf.
ICD—The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. (2011). Cultural diplomacy in the South Pacific. Acquired on 14/12/2011 from http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/culturaldiplomacynews/content/pdf/Cultural_Diplomacy_Outlook_Report_2011_-_02-03.pdf.
Israel, R. C., & Nagano, R. (1997). Promoting reproductive health for young adults through social marketing and mass media: A review of trends and practices. FOCUS on young adults research series, July 16, 1997. [Online Article] Retrieved on 08/02/2009, from http://www.pathfind.org/pf/pubs/focus/RPPS-Papers/Social%20Marketing.html.
Keating, J., Meekers, D., & Adewuyi, A. (2006). Assessing effects of a media campaign on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention in Nigeria: Results from the VISION Project. BMC Public Health, 6, 123.
Kikumbih, N., Hanson, K., Mills, A., Mponda, H., & Schellenberg, J. A. (2005). The economics of social marketing: The case of mosquito nets in Tanzania. Social Science and Medicine, 60(2), 369–381.
Lombardo, A. P., & LéGer, Y. A. (2007). Thinking about “Think Again” in Canada: Assessing a social marketing HIV/AIDS prevention campaign. Journal of Health Communication, 12, 377–397.
Lui, P. S., Musson, R., Kishore, K., & Ram, S. (2011). HIV and AIDS Responses of Health Care Training Institutions in the Pacific Islands—A literature review. Pacific Health Dialog, 16(2), 55–63.
Maswanya, E. S., Moji, K., Horiguchi, I., Nagata, K., Aoyagi, K., Honda, S., et al. (1999). Knowledge, risk perception of AIDS and reported sexual behavior among students in secondary schools and colleges in Tanzania. Health Education Research (Theory and Practice), 14(2), 185–196.
McDermott, R. J. (2000). Social marketing: A tool for health education. American Journal of Health Behavior, 24(1), 6–10.
Mills, A., Brugha, R., Hanson, K., & McPake, B. (2002). What can be done about the private health sector in low-income countries? Bull World Health Organ, 80(4), 325–330.
MSIP. (2007). Annual report for NZAID condom social marketing project—Fiji, Samoa and Tuvalu. Marie Stopes International Pacific. Acquired during Interview with Michael Sami on 20th February, 2009.
MSIP. (2010a). Condom social marketing programme update, February 2010. Marie Stopes International Pacific. Acquired during visit to MSIP in August 2010.
MSIP. (2010b). Choices change lives—Presentation to the Corona Club. Marie Stopes International Pacific. Retrieved on 8/8/2010, from http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/nitz69-416764-marie-stopes-international-pacific-corona-presentation-final-education-ppt-powerpoint/.
Neiger, B. L., Thackeray, R., Barnes, M. D., & McKenzie, J. F. (2003). Positioning social marketing as a planning process for health education. American Journal of Health Studies, 18(2/3), 75–81.
Novelli, W. D. (1989). ‘Selling’ public health programs, how marketing applies. Medical Marketing and Media, 24(5), 36–44.
Patouillard, E., Goodman, C., Hanson, K., & Mills, A. (2007). Can working with the private-for-profit sector improve utilization of quality health services for the poor? A systematic review of the literature. International Journal for Equity in Health, 6(17), 1–110.
Ramesh, S. (2010). History of inter-group conflict and violence in modern Fiji. MA Thesis, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney. Acquired on 14/12/2011 from http://www.observatori.org/paises/pais_52/documentos/SK-Ramesh-2010-thesis.pdf.
Rosenfield, A., & Binzen, S. (1987). Spreading the good word [Book Review: Social Marketing: New Imperative for Public Health]. International Family Planning Perspectives, 13(3), 114–115.
Schellstede, W. P., & Ciszewski, R. L. (1984). Social marketing of contraceptives in Bangladesh. Studies in Family Planning, 15(1), 30–39.
SPC. (2009). The Pacific regional strategy on HIV and other STIs for 2009–2013. Secretariat of the Pacific community. Retrieved on 2/7/2010, from http://www.spc.int/hiv/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=108&Itemid=148.
SPC. (2010). Cumulative reported HIV, AIDS, and AIDS deaths: Cases, incidence rates and gender, plus cases with missing details-December 2009. Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Retrieved on 2/7/2010 from http://www.spc.int/hiv/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=108&Itemid=148.
Spickard, P. (2001). Race and power in Fiji. [Online Article] acquired on 14/12/2011 from http://www.education.ucsb.edu/socialjustice/spickard.pdf.
UNAIDS. (1998). Social marketing: An effective tool in the global response to HIV/AIDS. Document prepared by population services international (PSI) for UNAIDS. Retrieved on 8/12/2008 from http://data.unaids.org/Publications/IRC-pub01/jc167-socmarketing_en.pdf.
UNAIDS. (2000). Condom social marketing: Selected case studies. UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved 8/02/2009, from http://data.unaids.org/Publications/IRC-pub02/JC1195-CondSocMark_en.pdf.
UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO, & ADB. (2010). Country review: Fiji Islands. United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS. Acquired from www.aidsdatahub.org.
UNGASS. (2010). UNGASS 2010 Country progress report Fiji Islands—Reporting period: January 2008–December 2009. Acquired on 10/10/2011 from http://www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/monitoringcountryprogress/2010progressreportssubmittedbycountries/fiji_2010_country_progress_report_en.pdf.
Vernon, R., Ojeda, G., & Townsend, M. C. (1988). Contraceptive social marketing and community-based distribution system in Colombia. Studies in Family Planning, 19(6), 354–360.
World Health Organization, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, University of New South Wales, and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, & Malaria. (2006). Second generation surveillance surveys of HIV, other STIs and risk behaviors in six Pacific Island countries 2004–2005. Retrieved on 30/01/2009, from http://www.spc.int/hiv/downloads/second-generation-surveillance-surveys/.
Acknowledgment
We are sincerely grateful to the Office of Research and Graduate Affairs, at the University of the South Pacific, for funding the write-up of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sewak, A., Singh, G. Assessment of the Fiji-Based Condom Social Marketing (CSM) Program. Sexuality & Culture 16, 389–407 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-012-9128-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-012-9128-3