Introduction of multimedia as an information tool for sexual and reproductive health education in INPPARES Lima Peru. INOPAL III in-house project March 28 1997 to September 30 1998 (internal accounting code 0352.04041.)

This study examined the feasibility of using an interactive computerized multimedia system as a tool for sexual and reproductive health education in Inppares Lima Peru. The program named "Isabel your information counselor" was designed to operate in Windows 95 on a compact disc of 600 megabytes. It includes 10 videos 11 animated short stories and 4 items of text only. To evaluate the multimedia tool 232 persons were surveyed on their opinions on the tool and level of satisfaction with it including acceptance and usefulness of the service and of the information provided preference for the program or the traditional face-to-face counseling and suggestions to improve the system. Results showed that 96% of users like it while 73% of users thought that the program was useful. In addition 57% of system users reported that "Isabel..." was easier to consult than a traditional provider or counselor because of the rapidity and timeliness of getting information from the program the simplicity and ease and the possibility of "not feeling ashamed". Suggestions for improving the multimedia service include improvement of the audio (40%) provision of more detailed information (38%) provision of more privacy (32%) increase number of topics (32%) and change in the location of the machine (15%). The study has demonstrated that the use of a multimedia as a tool to provide information has a high level of acceptance in the populations to which it was exposed specifically among males and females between 10 and 30 years of age.