2. A personal experience of
communicating HIV prevention
messages through Radio One Dar
Es Salaam
3. Outcomes from participating in and
hosting radio interviews
Participating in and hosting radio interviews helped “connect” PLHIV and
non-PLHIV or of unknown status and showed that HIV affects us all.
Opportunity to do health promotion (talk about what it is like to live with HIV,
about HIV testing, about taking HIV treatment, about condom use, about
relationships) and to encourage individuals to take care of themselves and
one another.
Opportunity to do some advocacy around the rights of people living with HIV
to access HIV prevention, treatment, support and care services.
It contributes to reducing stigma since the voices are of people living with
HIV ourselves; it contributes to reducing self stigma as well.
It creates more attentiveness from the listeners as it a personal issue.
4. Challenges
Some journalists are not well-informed and it is difficult to predict how they
will interpret what you say, especially on complex subjects.
Disclosure on the radio can be a big step because you cannot take it back.
Sharing information about complex issues, such as “positive prevention” is
challenging when conveying them to people who have different levels of
knowledge about HIV.
As people living with HIV, we have to keep up with current debates so that
we are conveying accurate information.
5. Recommendations
PLHIV networks
Work with the media to get across advocacy messages because the
media has a wide reach.
Civil society
To promote media training for people living with HIV so we are able to
confidently and accurately work with journalists on key issues, such as
positive prevention.
Public Sector
To respond to negative and inaccurate media coverage.
Donor agencies
To commit resources to communicating positive health promotion
messages.
UN agencies
To ensure that the voices of people living with HIV, including young
people, are part of their communication messages on positive prevention.
