In Southern Africa, teen abstinence is 'cool'

Here in Zambia, it's becoming hip to say no. To sex, that is.

"Abstinence. Ile che – it's cool," says Simon Lungu, a stylish young man wearing a baseball cap.

The catchphrase "ile che" is making the rounds among young people in this Southern African nation, in large part because of a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The campaign, dubbed HEART – Helping Each other Act Responsibly Together – is sending out a strong abstinence message and promoting consistent condom use among youths, as part of an attempt to combat the spread of AIDS.

Though the message of condom use has roiled many in this largely Christian nation, evidence indicates that the multimedia advertising campaign designed by young Zambians is helping convince young people to delay sex and reduce the number of their partners, two key factors that experts say could lead to lower infection rates.

USAID says HEART could be a model for AIDS reduction programs elsewhere in the world.

Although 75 percent of Zambian youths are sexually active by the time they reach 19, workers with HEART say the campaign is helping young people take the decision more seriously, and encouraging them to be more responsible when they do have sex.

"Most youths here, including me, have sex for the first time because of peer pressure," says Holo Hachonda, the program's young director. "What we're trying to do is reinforce the message that it's ok to be abstinent.... The idea is to encourage youths to adopt more healthy sexual behaviors."

Like most of the countries in this region, this sparsely populated nation is struggling to control the spread of AIDS. An estimated 20 percent of Zambians are diagnosed as HIV-positive, and the overwhelming number of infected people are between the ages of 20 and 40.

The HEART campaign is trying reduce HIV transmission rates by targeting those most at risk of infection through television commercials, radio ads, music, and poster advertisements. Many of the ads feature local youths playing basketball or jamming to Zambian-style rap music. The phrase "ile che" comes from a popular new song of the same name released to local radio stations by HEART.

Surveys of Zambian youths reveal that the message is hitting home. More than 50 percent of youths have seen the ads, and a substantial number have discussed them with friends or family, or say it affected their decision to abstain. National statistics also show that the number of new infections are stabilizing rather than continuing to rise, as in other countries.

HEART's $95,000 campaign, half of which is paid for by the Zambian government, is a big part of the behavior changes in Zambia, according to Robert Clay, who directs health and HIV/AIDS programs for USAID.

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