Education-Entertainment as an Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Communication Strategy: The Case of the Yolo TV Series in Ghana

Abstract

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) contributes largely to the burden of sexual ill health in Ghana. It is, therefore, important to apply a continuum of strategies to curtail these outcomes (postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal endometritis, operative vaginal delivery, episiotomy, pre- term delivery, maternal disability and death). The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GSS, 2014) recorded low (25.1%) Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) knowledge among Ghanaian adolescents. To reduce sexual ill health among adolescents, it is important that a continuum of interventions be put in place to address the knowledge gap. The YOLO TV series is one of such interventions. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess exposure to the YOLO TV series and its influence on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Knowledge among older adolescents in the West Africa Senior High School (WASS) in the Greater Accra Region. It was also to investigate adolescents’ perceptions on the ASRH issues/topics discussed on the YOLO TV show. A total of 303 adolescents between the ages of 15-19 were selected for the study. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data on the study objectives. The data was processed and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 16. The study established that three-in-five adolescents in the West Africa Senior High School access the YOLO TV series either through television or social media. The findings also revealed that although majority of respondents held positive perceptions towards contraceptives and teenage pregnancy, the majority had negative perceptions on STI’s. Using the chi-square statistic, it was established that the YOLO TV series has no influence on the ASRH knowledge of older adolescents in WASS. Statistical significance was set at p-value of 0.05. The findings suggest that chit-chat sessions should be organized by the school to ensure that lessons from each episode is thoroughly discussed to increase awareness of ASRH issues addressed on the YOLO TV show.