Weighing the Risks - Wize Up Zimbabwe

To: The Health Communication Network with The Communication Initiative

From Nokholo Mhluzani - Wize Up Zimbabwe

Please respond to Nokholo's observations with your insights and knowledge. Either reply by email to this note or click Read More below and comment on the platform

Action Institute, through Wize Up television talk show, aims to find out young people’s level of awareness and understanding of issues around sexual engagement and getting unwanted pregnancies.

Through interaction, Action Institute intends to establish how young people engage in sex and get unwanted pregnancies, their views on teen pregnancies and where and how they obtain information and health services.

The talk show, running under the campaign Wize up, your decision, your life, is a platform for young people, parents/ guardians, service providers and policy makers to converse about issues that are not addressed regularly and openly. Young people will be assisted to discover the support-seeking and support-giving practices that exist, express their views on contraceptives and if they perceive HIV and STIs as risks as well as to indicate barriers to change within existing practices.

It is disappointing to note that most young people are largely concerned about pregnancy than HIV infection. Most young people speak about the expenses of raising children than they do about the risks that come with HIV/AIDS. The availability of ARVs and other health facilities, through government and humanitarian aid, makes young people trivialize HIV and STIs.

Wize Up television talk show helps young people gain perspective and attach some importance to their sexual and reproductive health. The show airs on ZBCTV every Friday at 6pm.

Nokholo Mhluzani