This study is a qualitative ethnographic investigation of how teenagers in Kampala, Uganda, who read the HIV/AIDS publication aimed at adolescents, Straight Talk, negotiate HIV/AIDS messages. It seeks to establish to what extent these secondary school teenagers accept the key messages (known as ABC; Abstain, Be faithful or use a Condom) and understand the factual aspects of the messages about HIV/AIDS, its process of transmission and prevention. It also seeks to probe how the lived realities of the teenagers affect their particular negotiations of the HIV/AIDS messages. It includes a focus on how proximity to HIV/AIDS, gender and family economic disposition might affect teenagers, negotiation of the HIV/AIDS meanings. To investigate the respondents’ reception of HIV/AIDS messages, the study employed focus groups that consisted of two stages, namely the ‘news game’ and group discussions. In the ‘news game’ stage (Philo, 1990; Kitzinger, 1993) the teenage participants were required to produce a version of a one-page copy of an HIV/AIDS newspaper targeting teenagers. In the second stage of the focus group a structured discussion probed the teenagers’ negotiation of the HIV/AIDS media messages. In the news game, the teenagers on the whole reproduced the key Straight Talk HIV/AIDS messages ‘Abstain, Be faithful or use a Condom’ and also images showing the effects of HIV/AIDS but featured fewer images depicting the factual aspects of HIV/AIDS process of transmission and risky behaviour. In the structured discussion that followed the news game, it was evident that not all the teenagers necessarily believed the messages they produced. In spite of producing the ABC Straight Talk messages, some of them were uncertain and confused about the absolute safety of the condom because of fears that they were either porous, expired or would interfere with sexual pleasure. Secondly, though many of the teenagers in the study reproduced images that showed that they consider marriage as desirable and talked about their desire to abstain from sex till marriage, a considerable number think abstinence is not achievable due to competing values. Thirdly, the participant teenagers could differentiate between HIV and AIDS but many did not realise that with the advent of anti-retroviral drugs even people who have AIDS can look normal. In spite of repeating the Straight Talk message that “no one was safe” and being aware of the risky behaviour that their fellow teenagers get involved in, the teenagers seemed to think that their age cohort is safe from HIV and it is the adults who are likely to infect them. The study findings further indicate that the teenagers’ lived experience at times influence their negotiation of HIV/AIDS media messages. This was probed in terms of economic standing, gender and proximity to HIV/AIDS. In relation to gender one surprising discovery was that certain girls in the study feared getting pregnant more than getting HIV/AIDS. The study finally suggests that these findings are of significance for designing future media initiatives in relation to HIV/AIDS.

The study explored the community role in support of adolescents’ sexual reproductive health (ASRH) in Acholi sub-region, which was affected by over two decades of LRA war. The study aimed at establishing the impact of the war on Acholi socio-cultural norms of adolescents’ socialisation on sexual matters by exploring the effects of the war, mass media and the modern education system on the socio-cultural norms of socialisation and compared with the current modes of promoting sexual education among adolescents as mandated by the national adolescent health policy; the study then assessed the community responsiveness to ASRH needs. Based on the findings, community strategy for enhancing community response to adolescent health was developed. Exploratory, descriptive and case study methodology was used to execute a three- phased concurrent study with five sub-studies. Data were collected from selected participants and respondents including teen mothers, guardians, midwives, parents, adolescents, local, cultural and religious leaders as well as policy makers, technocrats and implementers at the community and district levels. The study was implemented in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts of Northern UgandaThe study results found that the LRA war greatly impacted on the Acholi tradition of socialising children; the war destroyed the socio-cultural, economic and family protection structures. The teen mothers’ case study vividly documented the stories. Confounded by the influence of mass media and modern education system, the Acholi community is experiencing what the study called ‘intergenerational cultural shock’ in which the old and young generations are shocked and amazed with the cultural difference. community responsiveness to adolescent health needs, amidst the societal changing contexts and emerging new youth cultures, the study proposes a community model and a strategy to promote community participation in ASRH but with many implications to policy, programs, and further research as detailed under the recommendations.. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)