Desired Changes

To seek family planning to prevent unplanned pregnancy and get tested for HIV

To get partner HIV tested


To get partner HIV tested


 

Barriers

  • Societal and cultural norms

  • Economic dependence from younger women (sugar daddy)

  • Proving a sense of manhood by taking on younger sex partners

  • Low risk perception

  • Access to male-friendly HTS services

  • Financial implications (travel cost, loss of work wages to go for testing)

  • No benefit for knowing status

  • Increased emotional trauma from knowing status

  • Low risk perception

  • Assuming their partner’s result is their result

  • Adherence

  • Lack of knowledge about where to access services

  • Stigma of being seen at the clinic and everyone assuming the reasons for HIV

  • Loss of time and wages

  • Worries about money and medication

  • Lack of knowledge about viral load, etc.

Facilitating Factors

  • Availability of information about risks adult men pose to younger women

  • HIV infection rates of men to younger women

  • Obligation to protect women and not abuse their power as men

  • Shift in social norms – unacceptability of older men to be with younger women

  • Messaging on radio

  • IEC material around importance of HIV testing and availability of free services

  • Availability of ART at any public facility

  • Women supporting heath seeking behaviors

  • Differentiated care model

Communications Objectives

  1. Increase negative perceptions in the community about older men / young women relationships

  2. Increase perception of HIV risk

  1. Increase self-efficacy for HTS and all HIV prevention, care and treatment services

  2. Increase awareness on the benefits of early diagnosis and routine couple testing

  3. Increase knowledge of where to access community HTS, including HIV self-testing

  1. Increase knowledge about viral load, disease progression and how ART interrupts disease progression

  2. Increase knowledge about where to access services

Key Messages

  • A real man doesn’t abuse his power to have sex with a young woman.

  • Positive African culture promotes protection of women and girls.

  • A real man does not use force to get sexual pleasure.

  • Child relations is a violation of human rights.

  • Would you want an older man with your daughter? Then why are you with his?

  • Real men take responsibility for the risks they take, man up – get tested.

  • Your partner’s HIV status isn’t yours, get tested.

  • Life doesn’t end with an HIV test, now I know what to do.

  • Real men know their status, get tested today.

  • I’m in charge of my life, I know my HIV status.

  • HIV services are free, get tested.

  • *80% of people with HIV have TB, get screened for TB.

  • Knowledge is power, know your status.

  • Your family and community are important – get tested, know your status, protect them.

  • Staying on medications keeps you healthy and able to work.

  • I adhere to my treatment, I feel great, now I can get back to work.

  • Now I’m able to provide for my family, because I take my medications consistently.

  • I don’t have to do this alone, I can get support from family and friends to stay on treatment.

Want to stop HIV in its tracks? Take your medication.

Activities

  • Mass media campaigns raising awareness of HTS, TB/HIV coinfection, HIV prevention, care and treatment

  • Men’s forum community dialogues with leaders to create safe spaces for dialogue

  • Awareness campaign (on benefits of disclosure)

  • Record and air testimonials of people with lived experiences, i.e. life after an HIV test, living with HIV, etc.

  • Community mobilization events at places where older men gather through leaders in the community

  • Develop and implement bulk SMS messages

  • Distribution of IEC material at social clubs, work place health days, sporting events, bars

  • Improve male-friendly clinic-based services

Indicators

  1. % of target audience expressing negative perceptions to older men young women relationships.

  2. % of adult men who report increased HIV health risk perception

  3. % of adult men who report high self-efficacy for accessing HTS and HIV prevention, care and treatment services

  4. % target audience who recall the benefits of early diagnosis and routine couple testing

  5. % increase in the number of people testing for HIV as couples

  6. % of adult men who report that they know where to access HTS (including HIV self-testing), HIV prevention and care and treatment services

  7. % of target audience with accurate knowledge of HIV services and benefits of ART

  

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