What do people learn from a health media campaign? A case study in Zomba, Malawi

Rebecca L. Thornton, University of Michigan
Ernest Mlenga, Independent Consultant
Susan Godlonton, University of Michigan

Results of the three randomized control trials that took place in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa on circumcision and HIV prevention have not been widely disseminated in Malawi. The Ministry of Health has recently been strategizing on how to incorporate male circumcision as part of their HIV prevention strategy and how to disseminate this information across the country. It is therefore useful to understand how Malawians understand this information and the link between male circumcision and HIV. Using an experimental design that involved informing some respondents about the link between HIV and circumcision we examine the extent of recall 4 months after the information intervention. Overall, we find that respondents recalled general facts about the relationship between HIV and circumcision as explained to them during the baseline survey. However the specific details of the information about the scientific study were not properly retained.