Lovers Plus South African style: how adolescents teach each other about AIDS.

Population Services International in collaboration with the Society for Family Health has designed an innovative condom social marketing program aimed at reducing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases in South Africa. The program aims not only to ensure broad distribution of Lovers Plus condoms but also to create a demand for the product. Mr. Loverman a giant dancing condom and the mascot for the campaign performs at workplaces sporting events taxi stations schools and on buses distributing condoms and informational brochures such as "The Tale of Excitable Johnny and His Raincoat" (160000 copies to date). Special programs have been designed to target miners youth and high-risk women. The Adolescent Reproductive Health Project designed with the input of young people has trained over 70 peer educators who conduct HIV prevention workshops for schools and youth groups. A radio program on the new Soweto Community Radio Station Lovers Plus Love Corner has a successful call-in format. Another radio program Rubber Revolution has reached 5-7 million South Africans with its brief episodes on condoms one of which features a testimonial from Bishop Desmond Tutu. Mobile video units are being sent to remote areas. Finally a female condom is being test marketed among university students and commercial sex workers. The effectiveness of this program which will soon be expanded to the rest of Africa reflects its comprehensive approach that combines increased condom accessibility and affordability with intensive communication campaigns that motivate behavioral change and strengthen demand.