Cell phone soap operas promote condome use and awareness, interesting prevention campaign Options

[K_Green]

A new campaign aims to provide women with messages about HIV awareness, safer sex and condom use through a series of 12 soap opera vignettes that can be viewed on a cell phone, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Rachel Jones, an educator at Rutgers University's College of Nursing, developed the campaign using professional actors and scripts based on focus groups with women in Newark and Jersey City, N.J.

The soap opera's 20-minute episodes feature "nitty gritty stories of risk and risk reduction" with which women can identify, Jones said. She added that cell phones allow women to have privacy when viewing the episodes and enables them to watch them repeatedly. Jones said she believes that "knowledge alone is not effective at changing behaviors" but that woman in the targeted communities might change their behaviors if they identify with characters in the videos. According to Jones, many women experience pressure from their partners to have unprotected sex, and "[t]hese relationship concerns can feel much more important in the moment for some women than reducing HIV/AIDS, which can feel more distant." She added that the videos aim to "normalize condom use." According to Jones, 82% of new HIV infections affecting people ages 18 to 29 are transmitted through heterosexual sex with an HIV-positive partner. Jones said the percentage of HIV cases transmitted through heterosexual sex is "astounding" because the virus is a "completely preventable infection."

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey provided funding for the project and NIH recently granted $2 million for a study assessing the effectiveness of the campaign. For the NIH study, which will involve 250 women, one group of participants will watch the soap operas on their cell phones. Researchers will then measure their risk-reduction behavior against a control group receiving text messages, but no video, encouraging condom use. At the end of the study, all participants will receive a DVD of the soap opera episodes, which also will be available online (Delli Santi, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/5).

[Taken from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS report, 01/06/2008]

[Enid]

A new campaign aims to provide women with messages about HIV awareness, safer sex and condom use through a series of 12 soap opera vignettes that can be viewed on a cell phone, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Rachel Jones, an educator at Rutgers University's College of Nursing, developed the campaign using professional actors and scripts based on focus groups with women in Newark and Jersey City, N.J.

The soap opera's 20-minute episodes feature "nitty gritty stories of risk and risk reduction" with which women can identify, Jones said. She added that cell phones allow women to have privacy when viewing the episodes and enables them to watch them repeatedly. Jones said she believes that "knowledge alone is not effective at changing behaviors" but that woman in the targeted communities might change their behaviors if they identify with characters in the videos. According to Jones, many women experience pressure from their partners to have unprotected sex, and "[t]hese relationship concerns can feel much more important in the moment for some women than reducing HIV/AIDS, which can feel more distant." She added that the videos aim to "normalize condom use." According to Jones, 82% of new HIV infections affecting people ages 18 to 29 are transmitted through heterosexual sex with an HIV-positive partner. Jones said the percentage of HIV cases transmitted through heterosexual sex is "astounding" because the virus is a "completely preventable infection."

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey provided funding for the project and NIH recently granted $2 million for a study assessing the effectiveness of the campaign. For the NIH study, which will involve 250 women, one group of participants will watch the soap operas on their cell phones. Researchers will then measure their risk-reduction behavior against a control group receiving text messages, but no video, encouraging condom use. At the end of the study, all participants will receive a DVD of the soap opera episodes, which also will be available online (Delli Santi, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/5).

[Taken from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS report, 01/06/2008]

Twenty minutes to look at a cell phone!??? Uh-uh! I don't think so, privacy or no privacy. Screw the plot and the dialogue and provide dramatic little commercials instead - I'm thinking one or two minutes. You can still have characters and dialogue. For example, a woman can ask a man, "Why didn't you tell me you had HIV!" Cut to the man's face, wearing with a pained expression. The end. You have to wait for the follow-up. And look, ma, it's only 10 seconds long!

Of course, it's possible that this 20-minute stuff would work out fine. I would have to see for myself. It's just hard for me to imagine anyone sitting in front of their cell phone for 20 minutes, but then, I'm not 20 years old. Wait! I'm going to have my niece sign up for the forum. She's no longer 20, but she grew up with a cell phone. Hang on, Keith! I'm going to rally an expert for you!

Miz E

[zoraida]

Ah here is the infamous cell phone soap operas!! I was asked to come and post my opinion on it and so I shall.

I believe many people have different way of processing knowledgeable information and though this method would hold no interest to my self who is in my mid 20’s (or late ) and can’t live with out my Treo, it may very well hold and capture another’s attention and teach her and even a him a little something.

The objective is to teach & leave an impression and anyway we can do that & as many ways as we can do that I think it should be done! I my self am an iPod junkie & I love listening to so many podcast so one of my best ways to get educated is hearing sex positive, alternative living, & metal health information through them and I have literally learned so much & would die if they cancelled those on me but all good things must come to an end they say so I have prepared my self for that day..

Anywho………

So with that little example of my point of view let me say that the cell phone soap operas will vary for many some will love it and think it’s the best way to have educated them and others will think it’s a waste but NEVER give up on a form to educate sex positive awareness especially to our young and ignorant society who forgets they are touchable and love, lust, luck, fun won’t keep them safe because they are young!

Hope my input is well received.. Have an awesome day!!

[Enid]

WELCOME to my fabulous niece!!! You rock! (Evidence to be posted at a later time by a proud aunt : )

Okay, I don't know what the hell a Treo is and I have never downloaded a podcast. (Yes, yes, I do intend to get it together one day. I do love technology.) I agree with the use of any and all avenues of information, but the question was ... would you spend 20 minutes looking at the screen on your cell phone to watch a soap opera?

Let me know, baby girl!

Enid

From another thread: "Listening to Bill Maher talk politic is VERY interesting and funny!! He can go On & ON about Sarah Palin. You can find him on HBO or iTunes podcasting as well.... awesome!"

Again, what the heck are you talking about?!!! I take it that through your iPod you can get programs. I thought it was just like a CD player and you just put in music to listen. Sigh. Such an old fuddy-duddy am I! Actually, I'm just too cheap to catch up to all the new technology or I would do so. I also have seen technology change so rapidly and be outdated quickly that I tend to wait and see. (Go ahead and tell me that iPods have been around a long time so I can slap you! : )

It's a new world (thank God). I want to see how we can influence it.

Thank you, niecy!

Enid

[EarthMother]

A new campaign aims to provide women with messages about HIV awareness, safer sex and condom use through a series of 12 soap opera vignettes that can be viewed on a cell phone, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Rachel Jones, an educator at Rutgers University's College of Nursing, developed the campaign using professional actors and scripts based on focus groups with women in Newark and Jersey City, N.J.

The soap opera's 20-minute episodes feature "nitty gritty stories of risk and risk reduction" with which women can identify, Jones said. She added that cell phones allow women to have privacy when viewing the episodes and enables them to watch them repeatedly. Jones said she believes that "knowledge alone is not effective at changing behaviors" but that woman in the targeted communities might change their behaviors if they identify with characters in the videos. According to Jones, many women experience pressure from their partners to have unprotected sex, and "[t]hese relationship concerns can feel much more important in the moment for some women than reducing HIV/AIDS, which can feel more distant." She added that the videos aim to "normalize condom use." According to Jones, 82% of new HIV infections affecting people ages 18 to 29 are transmitted through heterosexual sex with an HIV-positive partner. Jones said the percentage of HIV cases transmitted through heterosexual sex is "astounding" because the virus is a "completely preventable infection."

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey provided funding for the project and NIH recently granted $2 million for a study assessing the effectiveness of the campaign. For the NIH study, which will involve 250 women, one group of participants will watch the soap operas on their cell phones. Researchers will then measure their risk-reduction behavior against a control group receiving text messages, but no video, encouraging condom use. At the end of the study, all participants will receive a DVD of the soap opera episodes, which also will be available online (Delli Santi, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/5).

[Taken from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS report, 01/06/2008]

EM - Delete the "e" from the end of "condom" in your title! Otherwise, I'll be interested in seeing the DVD when it comes out!

[J_Berry]

EM - Delete the "e" from the end of "condom" in your title! Otherwise, I'll be interested in seeing the DVD when it comes out!

Isn't that the way the Aussies spell it?

Anyway, I think that anyone could easily watch a cell phone soap opera for 20 minutes while on the train or bus commuting to and from their jobs every day, especially if it's FREE!

Thanks for your input, Zoriada!

[zoraida]

WELCOME to my fabulous niece!!! You rock! (Evidence to be posted at a later time by a proud aunt : )

Okay, I don't know what the hell a Treo is and I have never downloaded a podcast. (Yes, yes, I do intend to get it together one day. I do love technology.) I agree with the use of any and all avenues of information, but the question was ... would you spend 20 minutes looking at the screen on your cell phone to watch a soap opera?

Let me know, baby girl!

Enid

From another thread: "Listening to Bill Maher talk politic is VERY interesting and funny!! He can go On & ON about Sarah Palin. You can find him on HBO or iTunes podcasting as well.... awesome!"

Again, what the heck are you talking about?!!! I take it that through your iPod you can get programs. I thought it was just like a CD player and you just put in music to listen. Sigh. Such an old fuddy-duddy am I! Actually, I'm just too cheap to catch up to all the new technology or I would do so. I also have seen technology change so rapidly and be outdated quickly that I tend to wait and see. (Go ahead and tell me that iPods have been around a long time so I can slap you! : )

It's a new world (thank God). I want to see how we can influence it.

Thank you, niecy!

Enid

Thank you for the awesome WELCOME in all caps, might I point out.

Just to give you the 411, a treo is just a phone with palm capabilities which hold a lot of your info (Contacts, deta from word, calendar, appts, reminders, ect) along with being a cell phone. It’s also email capable but I’m not paying for that, tho I wish I could. Lol

To answer your question which I thought I did but would I personally watch it? I don’t think so but again I can’t judge a book by its cover! They may very well come up with very creative plots that keep me going in to watch it & when you have down time like walking, train & long car rides these things can keep your interest for a while.

However, my phone doesn’t really go into all that jiggy TV stuff as some of the current models are. My girlfriend has a phone that is called a rant & she can watch TV on it, GP system and radio & is addicted to it so she may be one of those people that this Cell phone soup touches.

Another 411.. After this I might have to charge you.

iPod is the COOLEST mp3 player made. You down load iTunes to your PC and you add your favorite music & can buy music from iTunes for as little as .99 a song. iTunes also has movies, podcast which vary but are sorta like personal radio shows on the subject & topic they choose to dive into. All this you add to an iPOD which is the mp3 player & carry it with you were ever you go… Train, buss, walking.. You have it all with you for your enjoyment. Let me say that podcast is addictive!!!

Podcast has SO many subjects and interest for everyone. From sex education to AIDS.gov podcast to keep you informed, educated and/or hears the opinion of others. Awesome!

You can try it with out getting an iPOD just down load iTunes and see what you run into.

So there is my humble opinion, thought, and 411’s


Ohhh P.S.

Apple iPods have been around 7yrs since 10/23/2001 though yes they have updated their technology as they went along thus came new generations as they call it & they are expensive and fragile but worth the investment in my opinion anyway. Join the iPod madness Enid!
AND NO, you can not slap me because you are SO out of touch with the rest of the jiggy world/people!! hahaha

[Enid]

Okay, so what the hell are "palm capabilities"? As for the iPods, I may not know much, but I reads the papers and I saw that the prices are changing to 69 cents, 99 cents and 1.49. So there. I'm behind the times, and yet I try to keep up.

You can charge me all you want, but I ain't paying. You will soon learn about the costs of collections! And BTW, don't get funny with me, missy! (BTW = "by the way," for anyone on this site who's even older and more out-of-it than me!)

Thanks to you and Jeffy for explaining this to me. I wasn't sure that I could watch anything for 20 minutes on my Razr cell phone, but I can see that it would be possible on the train or some such. That does answer my question. I would still like to see what they have planned.

P.S. I will too so slap you! (Sez Enid the Poet : )

[zoraida]

Okay, so what the hell are "palm capabilities"? As for the iPods, I may not know much, but I reads the papers and I saw that the prices are changing to 69 cents, 99 cents and 1.49. So there. I'm behind the times, and yet I try to keep up.

You can charge me all you want, but I ain't paying. You will soon learn about the costs of collections! And BTW, don't get funny with me, missy! (BTW = "by the way," for anyone on this site who's even older and more out-of-it than me!)

Thanks to you and Jeffy for explaining this to me. I wasn't sure that I could watch anything for 20 minutes on my Razr cell phone, but I can see that it would be possible on the train or some such. That does answer my question. I would still like to see what they have planned.

P.S. I will too so slap you! (Sez Enid the Poet : )

ooooh I know collections.. I work in a collection agency! & see 1st had what collectors & skip tracers do... I stay away.

[elise]

I think this could work - especially as cell phones get fancier and if they got some hot celebs in the episodes (and if they were free, easily accessible etc.) I am a huge fan of the Midwest Teen Sex Show, which is a video podcast about teen sexuality. It downloads automatically to my computer, and the episodes end up on my ipod, where I can watch them anytime.

Whenever I get on the train or bus most of the people I see are plugged into some sort of electronic device, which is why I think this outreach strategy holds a lot of potential.